The Southside project is moving right along…after a slight hiccup with the sewer and water lines, we are now on track to open the temporary lobby entrance (off of Dore Lane) Thursday the 21st….starting that day, the front doors will no longer be accessible. The ATM will be moved on the 21st and temporarily unavailable while we make the move. As of the 21st, the ONLY access to drive up, lobby and ATM at Southside will be via Dore Lane…the other entrance will be fenced off so the contractors can start excavating for the new building.
Southside Construction Update 5/19
May 19th, 2009 by Chris Lynn
Southside Construction Update 5/14
May 14th, 2009 by Chris Lynn
The windows are boarded up, but we’re still open! The windows on the front of our Southside Branch have been covered with plywood to prevent random tools, machinery, pieces or parts from flying through the windows as our construction crews remove the soffit from the front of the building. Eventually the windows will be removed and filled in with normal “wall stuff”, however, that won’t occur until the remodel of the old building starts (around this time next year). The soffit needs to be removed so the new building (and the firewall separating the new and old buildings) can be built right in front of the old one. We’ll post pictures as the process goes along so you can get an idea of how it’s all going to work.
We will shortly be closing off the front parking area so the excavator can start digging the basement for the new building. Keep an eye out for the banners and signage to direct you to our temporary lobby and drive up entrance off Dore Lane. This is TENTATIVELY planned to happen early next week (May 18th or thereabouts).
Platinum Status Achieved!
May 5th, 2009 by Chris Lynn
We received confirmation today that the LEED review is final and Russell has been certified at the Platinum level! We earned a total of 57 points, 5 more than the threshold for Platinum. This is a very high achievement.
We checked into the other Platinum projects: Under LEED NC 2.2 (our version) there are 12 Platinum in the U.S. as of last month, and we are the first in Montana. Under the previous version (NC 2.1) there are 46 in the U.S., including 1 in Billings (“Home on the Range” is the name). So we are in rare company indeed.
To learn more about the LEED certification program, visit the U.S. Green Building Council website.
Southside Contruction Update 5/4
May 5th, 2009 by Chris Lynn
excavators in the new parking area off of Dore Lane
The excavator is on site and will be digging our new sewer and water lines this week. We may be experiencing short water and sewer outages while the new lines are hooked up. Our staff at the Southside Branch are becoming accustomed to loud machinery, vibrating desks (from the compactor in the parking lot construction) and a constantly changing work environment. Everyone is taking the disruption in stride (good thing, too since this project is another year or so from completion!) and with good humor.
The parking lot at the drive up is progressing nicely and interior work is coming right along. We hope to have that portion of the project completed and open for business in June. Our new driveup will feature the latest in video technology—you will be able to see the teller and he or she will be able to see you. PLUS, we’re double stacking the tubes in the drive up to double our capacity and shorten your wait time (just like Russell and Reserve Street). We will even have a “commercial” tube to accommodate members with larger cash/check/coin deposits. (Standard drive up tubes are designed to carry minimal weight, while commercial drive up tubes can handle larger transactions that might include coin.) A drive up ATM and night drop will be located in the lane closest to the building. A walk up ATM and walk up teller tube will be available on the front of the
building. There will be no lobby services at the new drive up facility. We will continue to serve members in the lobby of the larger building (with a temporary entrance off Dore Lane) until the new building is completed around this time next year. So, if you need to chat with a loan officer, or open a new account, or run some coin through our coin counter, you will still be able to do so throughout the construction process.
Hooray for Shredders!
Apr 28th, 2009 by Lisa Hensley
The huge industrial shredders, that is. Our Member Shred Day was a terrific success, with members bringing in more than 2800 POUNDS of paper. Yes…pounds! That’s a whole lot of landfill space that can now be used for those weird singing fish plaques that pop up around the holidays. Ahem.
Our thanks to Tear It Up for their shredding services, and for being super-friendly. And guess what? They even make home visits! Give Brandon Sorenson at call at 543-6898.
And thanks to our members for stopping by on a beautiful, blustery Saturday to drop off their paper! We’re seriously considering doing another shred event this fall, so keep your eyes on our web site at www.missoulafcu.org
Happy Spring!
Southside Construction Update 4/23
Apr 23rd, 2009 by Chris Lynn
In order to get the permit from the DEQ for the extraction well for our ground source cooling system, we have to test the sustainable flows from the well for 72 hours. We’ll be pumping 350 gallons per minute for 72 hours…you do the math…it’s a LOT of H2O!!! The testing will be happening next week (Monday through Thursday).
The big challenge has been what to do with all that water. It will be pumped through a PVC pipe from the well to the storm drain on the corner of Brooks and Dore. The pipe will be crossing the sidewalk in front of our entrance and the contractor will be building a ramp over it (and probably painting the ramp some amazingly bright color) so members entering the building will see it and not trip over it.
Our Southside branch has become a pretty active construction zone and we encourage anyone planning to visit the lobby or drive up to be extremely cautious of dump trucks, back hoes, dozers and the like. Conditions may be changing regularly, so it will be important to stay alert and aware of the situation. Our motto through this project is “ Short term pain for a long term gain!”
Southside Construction Update 4/17/09
Apr 17th, 2009 by Chris Lynn
Important Update!
Work on our Southside branch is moving right along, and the crew is ready to begin digging up a portion of our parking lot. Starting Monday, April 20th, access to our Southside branch drive up will be ONLY via DORE Lane… you will not be able to drive through the parking lot to get to the drive up. Lobby visitors can still park in the parking lot, but you won’t be able to exit to Dore Lane.
We apologize for the inconvenience this change will cause, and ask for your patience as we improve this branch to serve you better.
Construction Update 4/13/09
Apr 13th, 2009 by Chris Lynn
While the temporary door for lobby access during construction has been put on hold (waiting for our final building permits) we have begun other elements to keep the project moving and on time. The injection well for our ground source cooling has been drilled and the extraction well will begin this week.
The work on the drive up has begun with the removal of the old drive up equipment. Much of it will be inspected, refurbished and reused (along with the addition of three more drive up tubes).
We will begin removal of 16 trees soon in order to begin preparing the site for excavation. It will be sad to see these beautiful trees be cut down, however, it’s just not economically feasible to attempt to transplant them. We are going to be able to reuse some of the birch trees for some really nifty interior décor our designer is working on and have some of the pine trees planed down to be used in a bench and writing desk in the lobby.
One of our visions for this property is as a “park-like” setting, so we will be replacing them with 31 new trees, 269 new shrubs and 276 perennials! Of course, the plantings will occur at the very end of the project once the construction has moved to the interior finishing stages….that way the new trees, shrubs and plants will have their irrigation ready and they won’t risk getting squashed by construction equipment.
Why Are We Doing This Anyway?
Apr 1st, 2009 by Lisa Hensley
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.
New Branch Coming Soon(ish)
Mar 20th, 2009 by Lisa Hensley
The dust has barely settled from our Russell branch construction, but we just can’t wait any longer to start our next project. Our branch at 3600 Brooks (the ‘Southside’ branch) will be getting a major facelift over the next year. And the first phase of that project is about to begin.
Phase 1: During the last week of March, work will begin on the building that has been acting as our Training Center, just east of the Southside branch. We’re going to convert that building back into a functioning drive-up, complete with video links to the tellers inside.
Part of this first phase of work will also involve cutting a door into the south side of our current branch (closest to Dore Lane) to allow access to the existing lobby during construction.
Phase 2: We’ll build a two-story (plus basement) addition on the north side of the existing building (closest to Brooks). This addition will allow more of our administration to work in one spot, which will certainly make it a whole lot more efficient. This phase will take the longest, but it will be the most visible change.
Phase 3: Once the front part of the new building is complete, we’ll convert the current building (which by then will be the ‘old’ building) into a training center. The new facility will allow us to expand our current seminar offerings, and hopefully give us a spot where our entire staff can meet at once.
We’ll try to keep everything accessible and moving during this project, but it will be a tad disruptive. Please watch for signs to direct you, or feel free to visit our other branches.