BRUNSWICK

With little interest from buyers for the town-owned former Times Record building on Industry Road, Jorge Maderal has an idea.

“When (Brunswick Naval Air Station) closed, all of the veterans organizations were out of luck and without a home,” Maderal, of American Legion Post 20, said in a phone interview Wednesday.

During a Monday night Town Council meeting, Maderal asked councilors how the American Legion and other veterans organizations might make a proposal to the town-owned building for which town officials currently seek demolition bids.

The town acquired the building in 2004 for $1,275,000 from the previous owners of The Times Record. According to municipal assessor’s records, the building is valued at $1,261,300, with an associated 2.5 acres valued at $89,300, but years on the market have not yet yielded an acceptable purchase offer.

After presenting the idea to the council in public comments, Maderal said he plans by July 6 to submit a proposal to the town to maintain the space for a variety of veterans groups, including the Veterans for Foreign Wars, AmVets, Disabled American Veterans and a host of other organizations he said “used to have a home on the base but now don’t have a place to meet.”

Maderal, past commander of American Legion Post 20, said the proposal is still being drafted, but it would put the veterans organizations in charge of maintaining the building — which costs the town about $50,000 annually to maintain — in exchange for use. The town would retain ownership of the building in the proposal Maderal outlined Wednesday.

Maderal said he’s confident that local veterans groups can come up with the resources to do routine maintenance on the building.

“We have engineers, electricians, plumbers, pipe fitters — all of that,” Maderal said.

Earlier this month, the Town Council authorized Town Manager Gary Brown to seek bids for demolition of the property at 6 Industry Road.

In response to that move, Maderal decided to approach the council with the idea, amid a long process of eying space at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station for local veterans groups.

Without a permanent home, Brunswick American Legion post members meet at either the Elks Lodge, Topsham’s American Legion hall, the McDonald’s on Pleasant Street or at a member’s home, according to Maderal.

“It would be nice to have a hall for ceremonies and meetings,” Maderal said.

One space eyed at the former Navy base, in the chapel, would provide only offices and not meeting space.

Maderal said he would like to see the American Legion and other organizations eventually own a permanent building, “but since that’s not going to happen anytime soon,” he’s hoping for a temporary home.

“There’s a whole host of things that we do for the community and if we had our own location to meet — a roof over our heads — we could be that much more productive,” Maderal said.

dfishell@timesrecord.com