Horaks buy VFW building

VFW Post #7395 has sold its building, located at the southeast corner of First Avenue and Division Street in downtown Odessa. Frank and Marcus Horak are purchasing the building and will be moving their Odessa Auto Parts (NAPA) store to that location.

According to Marcus Horak, the renters who currently have storefronts on First Avenue will be able to stay right where they are. The NAPA store entrance will be on Division Street, where the entrance to the VFW hall is located. Plans are being made to install windows or perhaps even an entire glass front around the entryway to the new NAPA store. The rear part of the building, where the VFW Club was located will become the freight-receiving and storage area. The Club’s bar will be moved, he said, to function as the store’s service counter.

Renovation work on the building is set to begin after harvest, and by September/October, goods will begin moving across the street to the new location. Representatives of NAPA have offered to send a crew to help move inventory from the old store and into the new location. Many Odessa friends and fellow business people have also volunteered to help with the move, something for which Frank and Mark are very grateful. “The support from people in town has been wonderful,” Marcus said.

The second floor of the building, which at one time held residential apartments, will most likely be turned into meeting rooms. In particular, Marcus said, the VFW members would always have a place to hold their meetings in what has long been known to townspeople as the “VFW Building.” There is currently no electricity upstairs, but installing wiring will be a future project.

The Horak brothers plan to do most of the renovation work themselves, calling on contractors or other types of helpers only for specific tasks that exceed their levels of expertise. They also want to respect the history and architecture of the building, Marcus says, but certain updates will be required in order for the building to become a fully functional business and civic location with all of its ample space being utilized. Currently, much of the building sits empty.

Space was a major consideration when the lease at their current location was coming to an end. The brothers decided the larger building would give them more options, and the current rental spaces will provide added income as these two young businessmen work toward bringing the building into the 21st Century.