Opening soon
New bank location hosts preview
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HOUGHTON -- Upper Peninsula State Bank's new Houghton location on 906 College Ave. opened its doors for a building preview celebration Thursday. The new location will bring banking back to downtown and is the city's first building addition in decades, soon to be open to the public.
President and CEO of U.P. State Bank David Williams said Houghton needed a landmark to welcome people into its downtown. "Our mantra is to beautify where we go. The kicker is there's no bank in downtown Houghton," he said. "I don't know any downtowns that are as vibrant as Houghton, but it doesn't have a bank. So, we're pleased to bring that here."
Houghton Mayor Robert Megowen echoed Williams's sentiment and said the bank will be a great resource for seniors, as it is within walking distance of downtown. "The building mixes in real nicely with its historical character... trying to make this part of the downtown, not sticking out," he said. "The last bank we had was, of course, Houghton National years ago. Now, again, we have a place where people can walk to, especially for senior citizens."
According to Williams, everything from the property acquisition, to the site plans and actually building the new bank, was a partnership with local businesses and the community at-large. "This has been a three-to-four-year odyssey, to acquire the properties, working with the City of Houghton -- they were phenomenal to work with -- and to design a building with what was arguably a little bit of a difficult site to work with," he said.
Inside the new bank, there are several lounge areas for people to rest at -- on the inside and outside of the building. The classic U.P. State Bank tower is present. As well as offices for employees and an ATM which can connect customers with a bank teller from across the Upper Peninsula.
President of Moyle Construction, Andy Moyle said while the building process was fluid, Williams always had a vision in mind of what he wanted the bank to look like. "Design decisions had to be made quick. But Dave [Williams] wasn't ready to get to a full design day one. He wanted to start designing the parts that you could see and build the place layer by layer," he said. "It was a very smooth operation between his team and our team on his vision and what we could actually build."
The apartments adjacent to the bank are still being constructed. However, Williams said the new bank location will have a soft opening Tuesday, Dec. 1.
"[The bank] gave total investment to the community and total commitment to the community," Moyle added. "Banks aren't typically expanding right now, but U.P. State Bank is expanding organically. They believe in our markets. They believe in our businesses. They believe in our residents here and they want to be a part of our community."
Williams said the soft launch coincides with the Christmas season, as U.P. State Bank brings Santa Claus one to its locations for kids to enjoy. "Important to remember, Dec. 2, the next day, Santa will be in our tower," he said. "Santa comes here, and all of the little kiddies get to sit on his lap, give him their lists. They get to make crafts. They get a free family photo. They get hot chocolate and cookies, too."