Kinetic closes branch lobby until November for major upgrade

Renovations at Kinetic Credit Union in Columbus are continuing, with its North Branch lobby at 7300 Veterans Parkway being closed for an extensive makeover in its lobby area to go along with recently completed drive-thru work.

The 5,837-square-foot location is receiving about $240,000 in construction improvements, according to a Columbus building permit, with H.J. Layfield Jr. the contractor for the project.

The 21-year-old structure last received a major update in 2007 as the credit union converted at that time to a more modern design and layout. The cost for the 2007 work was about $250,000.

“It’s kind of the evolution, I guess, of the banking industry and how consumers are handling and utilizing their finances,” Mark Littleton, Kinetic’s vice president and chief strategy and marketing officer, said Wednesday. “This is just making sure we’re staying ahead of the curve on that when it comes to the branches, and giving members what they need.”

The North Branch lobby transformation is to be completed in November, before Thanksgiving, Littleton said. The finished product will be similar to renovations completed a few weeks ago at Kinetic’s main office and branch at the corner of 13th Street and 13th Avenue.

There will be three personal teller machines with touch-screen video and the ability to communicate with employees working from a remote location. Advisers also will be on hand in the lobby to help with things such as opening new accounts and taking out loans.

Those Kinetic customers who normally use the North Branch, but want to visit an office with a functioning lobby, can head to any of the credit union’s nine other locations in Columbus and Phenix City and at Fort Benning. The closest outlet to the North Branch is at 6333 Whitesville Road.

Upgrades on the 13th Street office’s drive-thru are now under way and should be wrapped up in August, Littleton said. The credit union is taking a look at its other offices for possible renovations, but has not developed a timeline for 2018, he said.

Kinetic, which has about 145 employees, was chartered in 1956 and was known for decades as TIC (The Infantry Center) Federal Credit Union because of its location on Fort Benning’s main post. It changed its name to Kinetic in 2014. The credit union now operates 10 locations throughout the city, which includes branches it absorbed following its merger with MEA Federal Credit Union last year.

This story was originally published July 19, 2017 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Kinetic closes branch lobby until November for major upgrade."