Earlier on May 20, I posted a report on "planning." Now there is activity according to the plan. Consturction workers presently are onsite at the Town Center Coborns store where the branch is being built inside the store, near to the store's front, along its west wall. They are making it a reality.It is important to me and others who will bank there. It is a progressive step for Ramsey, with its stalled and questionable development goals and spending efforts. This opening of a new business is a good step, there is no question to that. It is good for the community, for me, and for Coborn's and the Bank of Elk River.
Construction continues day-to-day, (as the Coborn workers in customer service and the store's pharmacy realize). The construction project has its construction sounds, and the service and dry cleaning outlet desk is "next door" to the noise, with the pharmacy equally adjacent.Buck up folks there, it's for a good cause, and it will be over soon. They then will have their new banking-outlet neighbor. In a May 21 email reply to email, Stewart Wilson, Bank of Elk River Sr. Vice-President, indicated:
We still anticipate opening in mid-July and are in the final stages of finalizing our construction plans. The good news is we will have a nice size location, about 775 square feet. It will have two private offices and three stand-up teller windows and one sit-down teller window. We are currently assembling our staff for the location and the manager will be Michelle Thatcher. Michelle has been managing our Elk River Walmart office and is extremely enthusiastic about opening our Ramsey office and becoming involved in the Ramsey community.
As soon as we finalize our plans, we will be sending out a press release. We are very pleased to be working with a company like Coborn’s. Our organizations share many of the same values and are both family owned companies.
In my earlier May 20 post about the bank branching to the Town Center, I misstated one thing, a belief that the Elk River Walmart branch of Bank of Elk River was a limited-services outlet, not full service. I was wrong. A comment to that May 20 post clarified things.
Presuming Ms. Thatcher continues to be intended to head Ramsey operations for Bank of Elk River, please welcome her to our community.
When the bank's main office expansion in downtown Elk River between Hwy. 10 and Main Street was completed there was a public ceremony in the parking lot, for the community. Perhaps something similar is planned to happen in Ramsey - at least a ribbon cutting with Anoka County Union present and reporting. I recall getting a freebie bamboo house plant and a high-quality free Vanman baseball-style cap - Vanman being the contractor for that site work then. The bamboo plant's repotted, and has a third shoot to go with the two original ones, and the cap keeps my glasses dry in the rain. I enjoy both.
So --- Hey Guys --- Any freebies this time, when the Ramsey branch opens?
There should be. It's apparently the same players again.
The Business Journal has reported:
Friday, April 10, 2009 - Elk River bank to open in Ramsey
Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal
- by Jennifer Niemela Staff Writer
The Bank of Elk River received approval to open a branch in a Coborn’s grocery store at the Ramsey Town Center.
The Elk River-based bank will open the branch in July, said Pat Dwyer, president of the bank.
The new branch will employ four or five full-time workers, Dwyer said.
Vanman Architects and Builders Inc., based in Golden Valley, is designing the branch. Construction of the facility will cost about $150,000, Dwyer said.
Congratulations to all!