By Sharon Still
The finishing touches are being made on the new Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union on Gibsonton Drive with plans for it to open by December, according to a local credit union representative.
The 4,767-sq.-ft. building will serve as Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union’s Riverview Member Service Center, replacing the existing location at 9598 U.S. 301 S.
“The new credit union is updated with many eco-friendly features and the location offers added convenience for our members,” said the representative.
The environmentally-friendly branch features LED lighting, high-efficiency windows and insulation, geothermal air conditioning and heating plus roof-mounted 40-kilowatt solar panels that will help offset electricity. Other features include daylight-harvesting light sensors that enable the building to direct outdoor light indoors, vacancy-sensing light switches that turn off lights in empty rooms and low-flow toilets. The “green” theme continues outside with xeriscaping and drip irrigations systems.
The building is designed by Collman & Karsky Architects which for a decade has been committed to environmentally-friendly initiatives. This is the company’s first net-zero design.
The net-zero building uses zero net energy consumption and produces zero carbon emissions annually. This means that it uses no external energy at all. While it uses electricity from utility company’s at times, it produces electricity at other times, a truly innovative concept.
The credit union will be open 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday. Drive-thru hours will be Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Telephone inquiries can be made Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union was chartered January 31, 1934 as Hillsborough County Teachers Credit Union. It is the largest credit union in Florida and the 14th largest in the United States, ranked by assets. For more information, visit www.suncoastfcu.org or call 800-999-5887.
