After several decades at the white hall at 875 Washington St., the Braintree Knights of Columbus are preparing to move on now that Toyota of Braintree owner Charles Tufankjian has purchased the property.
The Knights will use Saint Thomas More Parish as their primary meeting place as they search for a permanent address, said James F. Leahy, Jr., who was at Town Hall Tuesday afternoon to be installed as the new manager for the group's all-alcohol club license.
"We're in a state of flux," Leahy said.
Leahy, an eight-year member and Harvard University police officer, took over manager duties from Fire Chief James O'Brien. O'Brien could no longer oversee the alcohol license after he was promoted earlier this year and landed a spot on the Board of License Commissioners, Chair Joe Powers said.
The Knights will not be allowed to use their license until they have a permanent location, Powers added. They must notify the board when they move out of the hall – Leahy said that would likely be at the end of July – and then they have six months to re-start the use of their license, according to local regulations.
The 300-plus member club sold the property because of declining revenue from events and the hall's bar, Leahy said, and so it could focus on its charitable functions.
Tufankjian will use the property, at least in part, as a parking lot for his employees, who will shuttle to his dealership on Union Street, Leahy said. He said he did not know what other future use Tufankjian might have for the property in South Braintree Square.
"He's been fantastic so far," Leahy said.
Tufankjian could not be reached for comment.
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