The County Federal Credit Union’s new branch being built on an empty Bangor lot will include walls of windows and new landscaping, renderings of the building show.
The new building at 96 State St. will replace the credit union’s existing location at 466 Main St., CEO Ryan Ellsworth said Thursday. The branch, set to start construction in June and open by May next year, will have two drive-thru lanes and a drive-up ATM — a step up from the single lane at the Main Street location.
The 0.72-acre lot was sold in September for $350,000, according to city property records. It’s been vacant for years and was previously home to a gas station, a convenience store and an office building.
The site will be more convenient than the Main Street branch, which is across from the Cross Insurance Center and “a little on the outskirts,” Ellsworth said. “We feel like it would be more convenient for the members if it was a little bit more centrally located.”
The existing branch is also much smaller, at less than 2,000 square feet, he said. The new branch will be 3,700 square feet, and the credit union will own it instead of leasing, allowing more flexibility.
The State Street location will have about eight to 10 employees, a few more than the current team, Ellsworth said.
The credit union at one point considered moving its headquarters to Bangor given they’ve expanded beyond just Aroostook County and there is a larger pool of potential staff in the Queen City, but ultimately decided against it, Ellsworth said.
The State Street project was approved for a land development permit last week by the city’s Planning Board.
BDN writer Cameron Levasseur contributed to this report.
