Chelsea Groton to update headquarters building
Editor's note: This corrects the first name of Jenn Pensa, who is overseeing the project for Chelsea Groton Bank.
Groton — Chelsea Groton Bank has submitted plans for a major overhaul of its headquarters building and bank branch on Poquonnock Road.
An artist's rendering of the project, unveiled during the bank's annual meeting Tuesday, shows a building update featuring plenty of glass, with the intent of modernizing the building inside and out, according to bank President Michael Rauh.
"The current design is somewhat dated and we want the new design to reflect the contemporary nature of our business and our company," Rauh said in an email Wednesday. "We also want it to be a great place for people to come and work so the interiors are also much improved."
Rauh said interior, exterior and site design for the renovation project are complete, and the bank is beginning the process of getting state and local approvals. If all goes as planned, construction should be completed in the summer of 2022, he added.
Related story: A wild but profitable year for Chelsea Groton
"During construction, we will have a temporary branch available on site and the approximately 100 Groton administrative employees will be working in other buildings we own in Norwich, Mystic, and New London, as well as from home," Rauh said.
The project architect is Bisbano & Associates of Providence, and Carlin Construction of New London will be the general contractor.
In addition to freshening up the look of the building, Rauh said improvements will be made to the branch's accessibility, drive-thru lanes, delivery area and circulation.
"The new interior will feature significant increases in collaboration spaces and amenities," he added. "Customers will see a brand new branch in line with the changes we've made at Center Groton, Mystic and Westside, as well as a new gallery of 166 years of bank history and publicly accessible meeting spaces."
Construction likely will begin this fall. Jenn Pensa will be the project leader for the bank, working with the construction and architecture teams. Rauh would not give a price estimate for the project.
Rauh said the overall 37,000 square feet of building space would not change, but office configurations would change to accommodate future growth.
Chelsea Groton has acquired property to the east side of the building that will be used for expanded parking space as well as for the new drive-thru area. The refurbished bank branch will be located on the same side of the building to afford direct access from the parking lot.
"We spent several years evaluating all of our options," Rauh said in an email response to questions. "The Town of Groton has prioritized improvements in this part of Town and we are very excited to be a part of the revitalization of this area. It has great amenities for our employees, is very convenient for our customers and provides excellent visibility for us. We're thrilled to be making this investment for the community."
Comment threads are monitored for 48 hours after publication and then closed.
