Morton Community Bank opened its first branch, MCB-on-Main, 30 years ago. Since then, the bank, a staple in the Morton Community, has grown ... and grown ... and grown.
Just in the past few years, Morton Community Bank has expanded through various acquisitions in small towns throughout Central Illinois. The bank now has 25 properties located in 21 different communities.
As MCB owners and employees prepare for a celebratory lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Washington Community Bank will begin an expansion of its own.
The Washington branch begins expanding this week, and before the project is over, the newly extended and renovated space at 1881 Washington Road will double in size.
Washington Community Bank, a division of Morton Community Bank, first opened its doors about three years ago in a rented 1,200-square-foot space next to Basta O’Neills on Cummings Lane.
It moved into its new space in December 2007 after buying out Associated Bank.
“We doubled in space and now we’re going to double again,” bank manager Matt Moehle said at the project’s grounbreaking event Friday. “We’re going to add offices, more services like safe deposit boxes, and we’ll have a conference room,” he said. “We’ll really be able to better serve the people and the community and all their banking needs.”
The expansion also includes a larger lobby, a manager’s office, an updated exterior and new landscaping. The drive-through lanes, which are situated on the bank’s west side, will move to the east side, and the entrance will face Washington Road.
The plans also include adding the signature clock tower, which will house a working clock but no bell.
The project will be carried out in two parts, beginning with adding onto the east side of the existing building.
“We’ll move into the brand new addition in about six months,” Moehle said. “Then they will gut the existing building and gel it all together into one. Hopefully by summertime it will all be done.”
Gorski Reifsteck of Champaign is the architect in charge of the project, and Zobrist Construction of Morton is the general contractor.
“We’re just excited today to celebrate our growth and expansion,” Moehle said Friday to a large group of Washington business people who gathered for the bank’s groundbreaking.
“What a great day in Washington,” added Washington Mayor Gary Manier. “We’re blessed in this community to have not only this bank, but also great people and great citizens. The business community that has shown up here today shows the support of this bank and this branch.”
Jim Mamer, president of Morton Community Bank, also attended Friday’s groundbreaking and thanked the Washington community for its support.
“A bank, to us, is more than a building,” he said. “We’re very glad we can make this expansion today, and we are so appreciative of everybody from the city who has supported us.”
