SRP breaks ground for new building
A ground-breaking ceremony for a proposed SRP Federal Credit Union building in Evans took place Thursday.
Officials from SRP Federal Credit Union, Columbia County officials and representatives from the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce break ground on a new SRP Federal Credit Union at Cox and Belair roads.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
Several SRP officials and local lawmakers attended the event at 330 Belair Road, near the intersection of Belair and Cox roads.
The branch represents the first full-service facility for SRP in the Martinez/Evans area. SRP opened two other branches in Columbia County in May - one at the Centre at Evans shopping center and another on Rose Street next to the West Town Market Square.
"Convenience, convenience, convenience," SRP President Ed Templeton said. "We want to be a part of a growing Columbia County, and we want to make it easy for our members to find us."
SRP hopes to open the new branch on July 2005, Templeton said.
Once complete, the facility will offer walk-up and drive-up ATMS, eight drive-thru lanes and an 8,000-square-foot main building.
SRP will spend $2 million to construct the facility and furnish it, Templeton said.
Members will be able to access the bank from Belair and Cox roads.
The credit union also bought four parcels that it plans to resell to other businesses next to the new branch. One of the parcels has already been sold, but Templeton would not disclose who purchased it.
SRP services 78,000 members in Columbia, Richmond, McDuffie, Aiken, Allendale, Barnwell and Edgefield counties. They employ more than 230 people.
The new Evans branch will employ between 20 to 25 people, Templeton said.