Sept. 30, Center Parc Credit Union will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking for its Savannah flagship financial center on Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. at the construction site, 5698 Ogeechee Road, an outparcel in the Kroger complex within the Berwick community.

The $5 million, 6,200-square-foot project becomes Center Parc’s first freestanding location in the Savannah area. The credit union entered the Savannah market with two branches based in large retail centers, the Pooler Walmart and the Savannah Walmart at 6000 Ogeechee Road.

“It made sense to locate our first branches in stores where our members shop – it’s a great convenience. But our research shows there is a population in the community that could benefit from access to our services close to home,” said Donna Williams, community development liaison for Center Parc. “Members will be able to handle all transactions at this facility, from loan closings to advice and support.”

Another special feature of the new building will be a community room which groups in the community can use for meetings free of charge.

“We are building a welcoming space where members can feel comfortable. We’re incorporating elements from nature, such as stone, a water feature, greenery and lots of natural light. We will have a coffee bar and a technology station for our customers,” Williams said.

The site will also include a small garden outdoors to serve as a reminder of the credit union’s commitment to community gardens as a way to help members and the community at large achieve both financial and physical wellness. To date, that commitment has consisted of financial support to gardens founded and operated by other groups, although Center Parc is keeping an eye out for an ideal location for a garden of its own.

To bring this special building to life, Center Parc is working with The Redmond Group as the primary contractor. Center Parc and the contractor have partnered with 17 local subcontractors, deliberately choosing to work with firms based in the credit union’s service area. Also in keeping with the hire-local philosophy, the credit union intends to staff the completed facility with local hires. A Spring 2022 opening is anticipated.

Among the local subcontractors are Whitaker Laboratory, River City Constructors, James Steel Erectors, IBP Savannah, Southern Roof & Woodcare, Savannah Architectural Supply, All American Glass Co., Coastal Interior Construction, Phillips Flooring Center, Dan J. Sheehan Co., Guy Boyd Plumbing, Bolton Air, Coastal Electric, Sitework Construction, Neal Landscape & Irrigation, Atlantic Star LLC, and Maupin Engineering.

Meanwhile, Center Parc continues to expand its footprint in Chatham County. In addition to the two store-based branches and the future flagship building, the credit union has eight branded Walgreens ATMs that is members can use for free and is considering adding some free-standing drive-up ATMs within the next year.

Center Parc also has locations in Atlanta and is part of the CO-OP Shared Branch network, which gives members access to 5,000 credit
union branches and offers surcharge-free transactions at more than 70,000 locations across the U.S