TULSA, Okla. -- With its eye on a possible management linkup or partnership with the Texas Credit Union League, the Oklahoma Credit Union League said last week it was moving ahead with its long-standing plan for a Credit Union House in Oklahoma City patterned after CUNA's Washington, D.C. facility.
"We have hired a Tulsa architectural firm and our plans are for Credit Union House to open in February 2009," said Kelly Diven, chairman of the CU House Board of Managers and President/CEO of 66 FCU of Bartlesville.
Kinslow, Keith & Todd has been hired to design Credit Union House, to be located within view of the state capitol building and serving as the future headquarters of the Oklahoma league.
Representatives of the firm were part of the proceedings this month at two league town hall meetings held to solicit suggestions and ideas from the membership on function and use of the $1.3 million building.
Meanwhile, D.J. Morrow Ingram, interim OCUL president/CEO, confirmed again that pursuit of a permanent CEO replacement remains "on hold" while the trade group continues to explore a partnership pact with the Texas league.
Any management pact, if it goes through, could be similar to agreements now in place between California/Nevada and Colorado/Wyoming as well as Massachusetts with Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
Ingram said the town hall meetings have been valuable in providing suggestions for CU House. "Not only did the input confirm we are headed in the right direction for the facility design but we picked up a number of great ideas that we hope to incorporate. The response was very positive."
The OCUL staff and the architectural firm, she said, will now focus on the preliminary design of the facility to allow any potential zoning issues to be addressed.
The new building is expected to open by February 2009 for the start of the Oklahoma legislative session.
