Open for construction

La Macchia keeps branch open during rebuild

For La Macchia Group, keeping a Blackhawk Community Credit Union branch in Janesville open during construction was a greater challenge than rebuilding and renovating it.

Many of the credit union’s members pass through the branch each week, and closing it, even temporarily, could mean losing members to competing banks.

Ralph La Macchia, president of La Macchia Group, said the challenge was heightened by the fact that concrete in the credit union’s walls was crumbling and the roof was leaking.

“It was enormously problematic,” La Macchia said of the building’s condition. “No one was going through with a sledgehammer. This was something that had to be taken apart.

“We had to build a building over the building and carry it out the front door.”

La Macchia Group started the process by cutting the building in half, tearing part of it down, and building temporary walls near the credit union’s drive-through area. Crews then dug a basement, built half of the new building and put a new roof over the existing building.

Operations then were moved into the new portion of the building, the remaining pieces of the old building were taken down, and the rest of the new building was built.

La Macchia said there were only 16 inches between the bottom of the new roof and the top of the old one.

The new building has clean, curved lines and expanded access, especially in the drive-through area, he said.

“We wanted to make sure they would have the latest in service delivery,” La Macchia said, “but also wanted members to feel the credit union did not overshoot the lifestyle members have.”

Teri Barnes, operations accountant for Blackhawk, said the process went just as planned, with minimal shut-downs of lobby or drive-up access.

“Having to do it in phases may have taken a little longer,” Barnes said, “but we were able to stay open and serve our members, which was our goal.”

— Janine Anderson