CINCINNATI — Across the street from Greater Cincinnati Credit Union's small storefront branch in the up and coming North College Hill area President/CEO Daryl Sawyer saw opportunity in the form of an old gas station that had become an overgrown lot.
"We acquired that storefront branch when the community's credit union decided to merge with us and we knew it was too small but we wanted to honor their rental agreement which recently expired," said Sawyer. "Initially the existing credit union members weren't pleased about the merger. We wanted to show our commitment to the community and we knew that having a more visible presence would help. When I saw that lot that sits on a main thoroughfare I knew it would be a great site for our new branch."
Sawyer adds that two of the credit union's other branches were also former gas stations and they have been very successful. It took months of negotiation but the timing was right since the city was looking for a partner to redevelop the site.
Recommended For You
Sawyer says while this particular site had a few unexpected surprises, like the gas station didn't clean up according to code, overall the experience continues to be a positive one.
"My expectations are that every project will have something come up. You can't go into it thinking everything will go exactly the way you thought so I'm not na?ve enough to think everything would be perfect," said Sawyer. "Construction was a little delayed and we're still committed to being part of the revitalization effort here."
The approximately 4,400 square-foot facility created by design/build firm DEI Incorporated will have a red brick and glass exterior that blends with the small town feel and will feature a plaza for area residents to enjoy.
The interior, a mix of traditional and retail, has recently been recognized by Cincinnati Magazine's 4th Annual Interior Design Competition.
Cincinnati Magazine's interior design competition honors outstanding and innovative residential and commercial interior design in Cincinnati, Dayton and Northern Kentucky.
The DEI design team created a warm, comfortable environment that includes a teller line with graphics inspired by the city itself. In addition, the state of the art facility will include a tech center where members can sit and surf the Internet and access their account information; an inviting lobby complete with plasma television screens airing news, weather and current Greater Cincinnati promotions; and a boardroom that doubles as a training room.
The award winning design will be featured in the "Home & Garden" section of the November issue of Cincinnati Magazine.
"What is great about this project is that the whole community is excited and now very involved," said Sawyer. "They see the renderings of the branch and they can literally see the progress right before their eyes. This is an area that is experiencing a lot of growth and we're happy to be a part of it." –[email protected]
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
