The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6311 is requesting the City of Manteca allow the organization to take over the storm basin adjoining their post home.

It is where the VFW is conducting a car show today starting at 10:15 a.m. next to the post home at 550 Moffat Blvd.

The post would like the basin included in the 30-year lease they have with the city for use of the Moffat Community Center that serves as the post home.

And they would like the city to continue to maintain the basin.

They would name the basin “Veterans Park.”

The post commander noted, besides being able to conduct VFW events in the basin, it would ideally allow the VFW to address people who use the basin to practice their golf swing that are striking the building with golf balls.

Whether the city considers the request likely depends on how much traction a proposal will get that was fashioned by Mayor Gary Singh that the city is exploring to fill in the basin and build another community center on the southern side of it to serve as a home for the American Legion Post 249.

The area in between the two buildings would be developed as an actual park for events by the veterans groups and the community.

The mayor has indicated it would likely be the place for the city to place some type of memorial honoring veterans.

The existing parking lot would be expanded as well.

Congressman Josh Harder, at the urging of Singh, was able to secure an $850,000 federal grant last year to build the second community center on Moffat with the expressed purpose it would become the new Legion Hall.

The current Legion Hall in the 200 block of West Yosemite Avenue in downtown Manteca has just finished a $1.3 million makeover.

Singh’s vision is the Legion and city could essentially switch buildings.

That would give veterans more synergy at the Moffat site.

The city then could use the current Legion Hall to bolster downtown traffic.

It could be programmed for recreation programs, small scale community-based events promoting downtown, used for art shows, and possibly used as a visitors center among other things.

Singh is working  on wedding the $850,000 with other funds.

The basin was put in place nearly 25 years ago as a temporary basin until one is eventually put in place across the tracks at the Manteca Industrial Park.