Big changes are coming to Great Southern Bank in Quitman. Shortly after August 1, the current bank building is set to be demolished. Once demolition is complete, a new building will be erected at the same site.
A modular unit made especially for financial institutions has already been placed in the area behind the bank and will be used until the new bank building is completed. The temporary building and location will contain all of the things people are accustomed to at the bank. There will still be a drive through area and ATM location for people to use.
“The goal is to be in the mobile unit on August 1,” stated Senior Vice President Cathy Kennedy. “They’re going to go ahead and start doing the sewer lines, electricity, computer lines, and getting the ATM set up to be close to the drive thru on the modular unit. The modular unit will have all the conveniences of a usual bank building because it is set up for financial institutions. It will have all the safety measures a typical bank does.”
With construction taking place, customers at the bank will have to enter the parking lot at a different area.
“The modular unit is set up on the bank grounds, and people will go down Water Street, the road next to Cozette’s, and will drive up through where the employees used to park,” explained Cathy. “That’s where the drive thru and ATM will be. We’re going to have everything marked off with lines and everything.”
The decision to tear down and rebuild the bank came after look at all options available, and it was determined building a new bank would be the best route. They want to maintain some of the history from the current bank, so they plan to refurbish and use the dot accents that are currently on the front of the building. The new bank will be smaller and have better access for parking and driving around the building to use the drive thru and ATM.
“The building has been here for 60 years and has a flat roof, which is probably one of the reasons the building has deteriorated the way it has. The new building will appear to have a flat roof, but it is going to have a slope to it,” described Cathy. “The building is going to be a good bit smaller. It will be a little less than 4,000 square feet, whereas this one is over 10,000 square feet counting the upstairs. It’s going to be a beautiful facility, and there will be parking in front of the building instead of the majority of parking being in the back of the building the way it is now. The drive thru and ATM will be on the back side of the building, but people will enter it the same way they do now. It’ll give customers a bit more room to wrap around the building and not block Archusa Avenue anymore.”
The bank is grateful for patience of its customers and looks forward to the final product once the new bank is completed. While it will take a little over a year to complete once everything begins, the new bank building will solve many of the issues it currently faces with the large building it is currently in. With less foot traffic than when the bank was originally built, the smaller planned building will be better for both employees and customers.
