Credit union to leave city building

The credit union serving city employees will soon leave the Richmond Municipal Building.

Mayor Ron Oler told the city’s Board of Public Works and Safety during its April 2 meeting that Kemba Credit Union and the city have agreed the institution will vacate its second-floor office space by June 30.

Kemba, which is a Kroger employees credit union based near Cincinnati, Ohio, has identified the location as underperforming and is looking for a more visible, alternate site, Oler said. The city discovered the credit union never signed a lease after acquiring the former Richmond City Employees Credit Union effective April 1, 2023. It has paid $200 a month operating on a month-to-month basis, and Oler estimates taxpayers have subsidized $3,000 a month for Kemba.

The Richmond branch is one of 14 Kemba locations in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. It is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Oler said the city can use the additional office space.

Building transfers

The city will transfer ownership of 720 E. Main St. and 722 E. Main St. to the Wayne County Foundation’s Wayne County Land Trust.

Matthew Keller, the city’s director of public operations and engineering, said the land trust would properly rehabilitate the buildings and rent their upstairs apartments. According to county property records, the additions give the land trust ownership of nine East Main Street buildings, along with other downtown and Depot District buildings.

Richmond Neighborhood Restoration rehabilitated the apartments above the former Secret Ingredient and its companion building.

The board unanimously approved the transfers.

Facade removal

Removal of the facade at 728 E. Main St. will require closure of sidewalks and parking spaces.

The board approved the closures until April 25, providing DreamScape Builders three weeks to complete work estimated to take two weeks. The sidewalk and parking spaces will reopen when work is completed.

In materials submitted with the closure request, DreamScape said it will use an 86-foot boom lift to remove the facade. The lift and a garbage container will sit in the parking spaces.

Other actions

• Board members approved the Oct. 16 closure of East Main Street between Ninth and 10th streets for Earlham College’s Homecoming celebration. The block party from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. will feature a food truck, tables and small games.
• All for You Lawncare received the bids for right-of-way and nuisance mowing. It bid $106,645.65 for the right-of-way mowing and $140 per occurrence for nuisance mowing. Keller said the city spent about $22,000 on nuisance mowing last year.