We’ve had a few questions from our members about why we’re constructing a new building in the midst of a down economy.
This project has been part of our strategic plan for the past 4 years. Our Board and Management saw several years ago that we would be in need of upgraded, additional facilities in the coming years and prudently began planning for it by building up our capital and exploring a variety of options to fill our needs.
The time has come and we have literally run out of room. We have staff temporarily housed in the basement at Fairway who will be losing their office space when that lease runs out next year. We have filled the Southside Branch to overflowing and need to hire additional back office staff, but have no place to put them. We have departments split up and working in different locations… all of which can impact the speed and efficiency of the service we are able to provide our members. This is unacceptable to our Board and Management, hence the construction project. We will be remodeling the current Southside Branch building, adding a two-story building (with basement) to the front of it and turning the Training Center back into a drive up facility with 6 updated teller tubes, 2 ATMs and a night drop. (This will double our drive up capacity and reduce wait times for our members.)
This is actually a GREAT time for us to build. Prices have declined significantly since we started planning the project (down nearly $2 million!) so we are getting an even better deal for our members. Construction has come to a significant slow-down, so we are providing a “local stimulus” by keeping local contractors employed through these difficult times. Whenever possible we have used local (Missoula and W. MT) contractors. Some services (steel fabrication for example) are not available locally, so we had to go outside the area for that. We have used a local architectural and engineering firm and a local general contractor.
Will this also be a “green” building? Will you have another glass drive (we have lots saved up!)
While we are not seeking LEED certification on this project, we are using many of the lessons we learned from our Russell Street project. For instance, all enamels, stains, paints and primers will be well below LEED standards for VOCs. All windows will be Low-E double paned to minimize energy loss via conduction. All of the red iron to be used in the project is 100% recycled. Low flow water closets and urinals will be used to save on water consumption. Natural groundwater cooling will be used to cool the building. The heat generated by the computer server room will heat the domestic hot water using a de-superheater. And much much much much more….Keep an eye on this blog as we’ll be talking about the many other “green” aspects of this building as they are implemented and installed.
We will be using fly ash in the concrete mix, however, not at the 100% level we did at the Russell Street Branch. We won’t be using glass in the concrete, so no glass drives this time around.
Can we please not go the route of the Russell branch and have the screens in the lobby. It is extremely impersonal to talk to a screen and only see the teller when they are speaking. I find it to be inefficient, because I can’t ask questions while I’m standing there. I also have more mistakes made with tellers, because it is not as easy to see what they are doing and to explain what I need. Also, I go to the bank several times a week and it’s important to me to have a relationship with the people I see daily. It’s just good community.
Thanks for the input! We put the video tellers in at the Russell branch to help increase efficiency– tellers at can Russell handle transactions from the lobby AND the drive up without the need to run back and forth like at our Downtown Branch. We won’t be using video tellers at the Southside branch because the drive up and lobby tellers will be in separate buildings and we simply wouldn’t get the efficiencies out of the technology. Because we thought we might have some members who were uncomfortable with the new technology at the Russell Branch, we included two traditional lobby tellers to help those members. They are located right in the lobby (just to the right of the video tellers) and are available to help you with your transactions in a more traditional fashion. Our greeters can guide you to these tellers next time you visit.
I agree, that branch had a VERY retro 60′/70′s look to it, and I felt like I was in a time warp everytime I went there, so I tended to avoid it. Please also tell me the ATM is gonna get replaced with an updated version?
The new drive up will feature 24-hour walk up ATM on the front of the building and a drive up ATM in the lane closest to the building…And the new lobby will have a new ATM (accessible only during business hours)
The russell model is horrible. I’ve heard comments about increased security and efficiency, that may work on paper but not in practice. The wait times are longer than I remember them ever being at the brooks street branch. It also seems that are no more tellers working just the lobby. It seems like the people behind the screens are doing double duty. As a customer the screens make me feel like my business and time are no longer important to MFCU. I getting the same lackluster service I would get from an online provider. I miss tellers who knew my habits and my name.
Because we thought we might have some members who were uncomfortable with the new technology at the Russell Branch, we included two traditional lobby tellers to help those members. They are located right in the lobby (just to the right of the video tellers) and are available to help you with your transactions in a more traditional fashion. Our greeters can guide you to these tellers next time you visit.
What about having the handicap parking spaces much closer to the main entrance this time? My mother is handicapped and gets around with a walker and the closer to the door i can park just makes much easier on her.
Why did you cut down the trees?
Unfortunately, the trees had to come out, as they are in the location of our new building and parking area. If you happen to be at the Southside Branch in the next few weeks, stop in and take a look at the plans for the new building and the remodels of the drive up next door and the current building. Check out the blog post from April 13th for more details about how we are reusing the trees and future plans for foliage on the site .