ORNL FCU starts major facilities projects; demolition under way

 

ORNL Federal Credit Union on Monday announced that it has started its major facilities projects in Oak Ridge with the demolition of its location at 215 South Rutgers Avenue. That location was the Credit Union’s sole branch between 1969 and 1987, before housing the Operations and Imaging departments for the last 27 years.

Business operations at ORNL FCU’s main branch located at 221 South Rutgers Avenue will not be affected by the ongoing work.

This initial step is part of the Credit Union’s larger facilities plan, which involves relocating its main branch into a high-efficiency, “forward-looking” work environment that will be built on the 215 South Rutgers Avenue location and retain the original building’s address.

The current main branch/headquarters building at 221 South Rutgers Avenue will be remodeled and redesigned to consolidate the Credit Union’s back office operations.

“These renovations are designed to strengthen member service and accommodate the Credit Union’s projected growth needs well into the future,” a press release said.

It said demolition should conclude at the end of this week, with construction preparation of the new branch scheduled to begin in October.

“This is an exciting time to be a part of ORNL Federal Credit Union,” said Chris Johnson, ORNL FCU president and chief executive officer. “Following yet another year of significant growth, we’ve embarked on a number of initiatives to better serve and bring value to our members. We’re grateful for the opportunity to consolidate and enhance our branch and corporate office facilities as part of that commitment. Our focus remains on delivering a positive experience for both our members and our employees.”

Earlier this year, ORNL Federal Credit Union also announced its plans to develop a three-story, 24,000-square-foot regional center at Northshore, which will become the home office for CU Community LLC, a credit union service organization. The Northshore facility will include a new “branch of the future” for ORNL FCU members and a state-of-the-art work environment for employees, the release said.

“This location will be a positive step forward as CU Community looks to expand its mortgage lending and collaborative business services,” the release said.

ORNL FCU’s Regional Center at Northshore is slated for completion in 2016.

“By retaining its focus on meeting the needs of members and employees in an ever-changing environment for the past 68 years, ORNL FCU has been successfully transforming itself, making significant improvements in operating efficiencies and deploying new technology and service innovations,” the release said.

For more information, visit www.ORNLFCU.com.