PORTLAND, Maine–In keeping with its name, Evergreen Credit Union said it will demolish its current building and construct a new, environmentally friendly facility on the same site. Plans call for construction to begin in mid-July.
The credit union told KeepMeCurrent.com that since it moved into its current facility in 2001 its membership has tripled.
“We felt it was time to provide membership with improved, functional facilities that can meet the demand and complement our member service team,” CEO Tim Verreault told KeepMeCurrent.com.
Evergreen CU was founded as S.D. Warren Credit Union 65 years ago to service the employees of the paper company. It changed its name 20 years ago when it expanded its FOM to the community, and now has 23,000 members.
Verreault told KeepMeCurrent.com that “because of our history and our name, Evergreen, we’re embarking on a path of sustainability,” by constructing an energy-efficient, environmentally friendly facility to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) qualifications.
To obtain LEED certification, Verreault said, the construction process needs to be informed by sustainability initiatives from start to finish, from the demolition of the old building to the materials used in the new building.
The building will have a geothermal system, according to Verreault, which heats and cools by extracting water from underground. The building will not use oil, propane or natural gas. To become LEED certified, the building needs to use a certain percentage of recyclable content and energy-efficient lighting, KeepMeCurrent.com reported.
The new building’s retail facility will have an open plan with tellers working from free-standing pods.