Ground Broken on Midland States Bank New Downtown Facility

Midland States Bank promised when they opened their new corporate facility on Effingham's north side that a new downtown building would follow.

Ground was broken for the new downtown location Monday morning. The facility will be built on the northwest corner of 4th Street and Section Avenue, south and east of the current Midland States building.

Midland States Regional Market President and Effingham Market President Tim Spitz said the site will be secured for construction following Labor Day weekend. Spitz said the building is to be completed in late spring 2015. The next phase will be the demolition of the existing drive through facility, since new drive through service will be part of the new building. The final phase will be work in cooperation with the City of Effingham to reconstruct the alley that separates the old and new bank locations including burying the utilities that run along the alley.

Effingham Mayor Merv Gillenwater said the City is always glad for new facilities, especially in the downtown area since he believes the building will compliment the beautification steps taken by the city downtown.

Spitz said the new facility will not be a "mini-me" of the corporate building, but will contain distinctive features so you'll know it's a Midland States facility. The new two-story bank will contain 8,500 square feet of area, smaller than the existing faciilty, but the relocation of many employees who had been stationed downtown to the corporate facility allowed for the new downtown building to be smaller. Employees at the new facility will be specifically involved in the downtown operation, while those transferred are more involved in the corporate operation.

Tim Spitz spoke with our Greg Sapp following Monday's groundbreaking...