Big changes for some of Shelley’s banks

SHELLEY – Community Pioneer got to the bottom of what is going on with Shelley’s banks.

Recent activity on the former King’s Variety Store site, on State Street in Shelley, has some wondering If Idaho Central Credit Union–who owns the property–is building a new branch.

Community Pioneer reached out to Laura Smith, Vice President of Public Relations at ICCU. Smith said they have no plans to construct a branch on this property in the foreseeable future.

Smith said the equipment currently on the property is being used by a local contractor, who asked if he could store it on their property.

Community Pioneer also reached out to East Idaho Credit Union to find out their plans for the future.

According to East Idaho Credit Union CEO Dan Thurman, they plan to demolish the building, located at 418 West Fir Street, sometime next year. They aim to build a new and larger facility at the same site.

During construction, Thurman said they will find a temporary location in Shelley to serve their members.

Several months ago, U.S. Bank, a subsidiary of US Bancorp, located at 201 Pine Street, temporarily closed its doors for business.

Community Pioneer spoke to Boua Xiong, Communications Manager for US Bancorp Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, about the closure.

“We temporarily closed our Shelley branch during the COVID-19 pandemic to promote safety and recently made the decision to permanently close the branch on January 2, 2021,” Xiong said in an email.

Xiong said this closure was part of a decision made by U.S. Bank back in 2019 to “optimize our branch delivery networks in response to changing customer preferences and behaviors.â€

Although they are closing some branches, they will continue to open and enhance others, while enhancing their digital capabilities.

“We recently notified customers of our decision and understand that closing a branch could be an inconvenience,” Xiong said. “We’re dedicated to helping our customers and employees during this transaction.â€

Customers who want to access their safety deposit box can schedule an appointment with the bank.

Xiong declined to say what U.S. Bank plans to do with the property after its closure.

According to a recent article in BoiseDev — a local news source in the Boise area — U.S. Bank is closing 12 out of nearly 100 U.S. Bank branches across the State.

According to the article, U.S. Bank traces its roots to First National Bank of Idaho—later Idaho First Bank and WestOne Bank, which was founded in 1867. It is Idaho’s longest continually operating bank. U.S. Bank still operates in many of Idaho’s small towns.