Ground broken for credit union branch in Carson City

Demand encouraged United Federal Credit Union to locate in Carson City, Mayor Robert Crowell said at a Monday ground breaking ceremony for a new branch.

Crowell added those with the credit union like Carson City as he was joined by Assemblyman P. K. O’Neill, the city’s four supervisors and credit union officials in digging up ceremonial spades of dirt. They did so against a backdrop of construction for the branch already under way at the northeast corner of East William and State streets.

Danny DeLaRosa, credit union vice president, joked all the work in the background had been done since 8 a.m. The mayor chuckled, but his own remarks remained serious regarding the credit union’s decision to locate here.

“They’re here because they had demand from a lot of their members,” said Crowell, adding his comment about credit union officials liking Nevada’s state capital community. He expressed pleasure at the economic development involved, adding: “This has been a vacant lot for probably as long as I can remember.”

The mayor said the private sector project was part of a Carson City resurgence, thanking DeLaRosa and credit union colleagues for deciding to open the branch. The credit union, chartered in 1949 and headquartered in Michigan, has branches in several states. Included is a trio in Reno, with another under construction at the Summit Mall there. The credit union has more than 130,000 members and is growing.

DeLaRosa thanked the mayor for the remarks, then presented a check to a local program helping families.

“I really appreciate the thanks,” he said, “but you can’t do it alone.” With that, he introduced to the crowd gathered for the event his credit union colleagues and a board member before making the check presentation. He gave $500 to representatives of Capital City Circles Initiative, which helps families lift themselves out of poverty or other circumstances that have held them back.

DeLaRosa said it was the credit union’s way of giving back and noted Circles helps people in an effort to “get them to be self-sufficient.” Shelly Aldean, Circles’ board chairperson and a former city supervisor, was on hand to accept the donation and thank DeLaRosa.

Various dignitaries from the public and private sectors swelled the crowd on hand for the 10 a.m. ceremony, among them members of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce along with the chamber’s executive director. Ronni Hannaman. The chamber director had written prior to the event the “new credit union building will fill the long vacant lot and will spur further growth, signaling yet another positive sign the economy continues to improve.”

The lot at William and State is north across East William from Mills Park and just west across State Street from the Fed Ex and Starbucks buildings in a small shopping center east of State. The credit union branch building going up will have 7,500 square feet of space and the branch will employ about 10. The credit union operates in six states and reports it has $1.8 million in assets.