Recent History – 1998
By Alethea Wiesner, Daily News Staff — Dec. 11, 1998
After eight months of hard work by Hegge Construction, the new Lake View Credit Union building on the corner of 9 St. and 102 Ave. and is finally finished.
A grand opening is scheduled for Feb. 6, 1999 although the new building will be open for business as of Jan. 15. Furniture will be delivered after Christmas to facilitate an easy transition for members and staff.
“We’ve had a lot of really positive feedback from a lot of members about the look and who want to get in,” said Board of Directors president Dale Bumstead.
“It really is a nice building and it really adds, we believe, to the downtown core.”
The original plan would have seen the relocation before Christmas, but with the hectic holiday season Bumstead said the move will be smoother in January.
The $2.5 million facility is part of the momentum helping Dawson Creek crest over $12 million in development this year, according to figures from Mayor Blair Lekstrom.
After some 45 years in its current home (previously the bank was in the old Co-op branch where Bings Furniture is today), Lake View Credit Union felt it was time for a change. Expansion to staff and services just made quarters to cramped, Bumstead explained, and the building was starting to get a little old.
The new facility was designed with service and potential future expansion in mind, Bumstead said, with teller units separated from loans and mortgage “to make it a little more conducive for people.” The building also features three ATM machines including a drive-through ATM housed in the rear – a first for Dawson Creek.
“It really is designed for customer service,” Bumstead said. “It’s much more customer-focused for that personal level of service that we believe people are looking for.”
Customers will see no interruption in service with the move, he stressed, and the new ATMs will come online over the weekend of the move.