Credit union breaks ground

It took 50 years for the Glendale City Employees Federal Credit Union to emerge from the basement of City Hall. Now, only a few years after moving into an office building at Wilson Avenue and Isabel Street, the organization is building its own digs.

Over the last two weeks, demolition crews have wiped out the building that was formerly The Catch restaurant, and prior to that the Grinder, at Wilson and Jackson streets. The site has been idle for at least three years.

Next week the credit union, which provides banking and loan services to city employees and their families, will break ground on a new 3,800-square-foot building on the property.

“This has been a dream of mine,” credit union Chief Executive Shirley Tapp said. “For several years now, we have been looking for property and I can see that spot right out my window. I knew that would be the ideal location for us because it is near all the city employees.”

The credit union has $60 million in assets and approximately 3,600 members, according to business development director Carolynn Lyons.

Its members include city employees and their family members, as well as members of Friends of the Glendale Public Library, which the credit union added to its charter in an effort to support local libraries.

Tapp said she hopes her employees can move into the new building by next year. The property was purchased in February for nearly $1.9 million, according to the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office.

Tapp declined to say how much construction is expected to cost, but said she looked forward to having more space, upgraded technology — including the latest in envelope-free ATMs — and solar paneling, if the budget allows.

“Certainly we would like to go that route,” Tapp said.

The new building, Tapp said, “is going to add to the community. That restaurant was sitting there vacant for so long, it was an eyesore.”