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Credit union to open branch in Cullowhee
By Derek Hodges
Officials with the State Employees Credit Union recently announced plans to open a new branch in Cullowhee.
According to Alan Salzano, SECU regional vice president, the bank recently purchased 4 acres in two parcels at the intersection of N.C. 107 and Little Savannah Road. That property was home to Mama Goldberg’s Deli. Several old residential units are also located on one parcel, Salzano said.
No one is living in the homes, which will soon be demolished, Salzano said. The restaurant has also moved, and that building will also be torn down, he said.
The number for Momma Goldberg’s has been disconnected, and the owners could not be reached for comment.
The credit union plans to construct a 7,700 square-foot building and an 80-space parking lot, Salzano said. It will also have a 24-hour drive-up automated teller machine, he said.
“We realized we needed another office because we’re out of room in this location,” Salzano said. “It’s a product of some very strong member support in this area.”
Many credit union members are in the Cullowhee area, Salzano said. Students carrying their parents’ accounts from home and Western Carolina University faculty and staff have filled the current bank to capacity, he said. With expansion planned at the university, credit union officials knew they had to expand, too, he said.
“The university is a large segment of our membership,” Salzano said. “We wouldn’t have been in a position to handle the growth out there in this facility.
Recent growth in Sylva have also put a strain on the bank. With a new Lowe’s going up next to SECU, access to the credit union will soon be very constricted.
Salzano said he does not know when construction will be completed.
“I think we’ll be able to start construction soon, but I don’t know how soon,” Salzano said. “The credit union management in Raleigh have given every indication they want to move forward with construction. I just don’t know what their priorities are in Raleigh.”
Salzano manages six SECU branches in the state’s seven westernmost counties. By the end of the month he expects to open another facility in Hayesville, meaning there will be at least one location in all seven counties.
While some employees for the new Cullowhee branch may be transferred from other locations, many of them will be new hires, Salzano said.
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