Published: May 26, 2009 11:16 pm         

Green Bank: And we aren’t talking about the money inside

TERRE HAUTE — The money is not the only thing that’s green at Terre Haute’s newest bank.

Citizens National Bank, which has locations in Paris, Oakland and Charleston in Illinois, opened an “environmentally friendly” banking branch on Davis Avenue on Tuesday morning.

“It will be an ongoing green operation,” said Bill Minnis, president and CEO of the bank, speaking at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new bank. Before long, most new buildings will be green, Minnis said. “It’s better to be at the front of the curve.”

The new bank, just west of the Dairy Queen on Davis Avenue near Honey Creek Mall, is manufactured from mostly either recycled or renewable materials, said Rustin Laswell, owner and chief designer for RCI Design Inc. of Terre Haute, which designed the new single-story facility.

The building also features numerous windows to provide natural lighting, bricks made partially from recycled materials and a completely white roof. The roof reflects sunlight away from the building, making the structure easier to cool, Laswell said.

Citizens National Bank is hoping to achieve a gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Gold is the second-highest green certification the not-for-profit environmental group awards.

“The green design created some challenges,” Minnis told a small crowd of employees, bank officials and news media gathered for the ceremony. Building a gold-certified building adds between 10 and 15 percent to construction costs, Laswell said. However, there are also cost-savings associated with green construction, he noted.

Each office in the building contains a sensor, which informs the central heating and cooling unit of the number of people in the bank, Laswell said. This allows the unit to adjust its power usage according to need, he said.

In addition to being white, the roof of the building also is designed to collect rainwater, which is stored in a large tank and used to irrigate the bank’s landscaping, Laswell noted. The building also contains environmentally friendly carpet and paint, he said. There is also a shower in the building to allow employees to clean up if they decide to ride a bike or walk to the facility.

Having a green building is a “morale booster,” Minnis said. It’s something the whole staff feels good about, he said.

Citizens National Bank in Terre Haute officially opened Tuesday and will have a grand opening June 4, 5 and 6, Minnis said. The local operation will provide jobs for about nine full-time and four part-time employees, he said.



Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.