OSHTEMO TOWNSHIP, Mich.– Advia Credit Union has received unanimous approval from a local township board of trustees on one of the steps necessary to build a three-story, 150,000-square foot administration building on West Main Street here.
The approval of a conditional rezoning request, which would change 37 acres of land from a residence district to a local business district, has now been sent back to the Planning Commission, according to MLive.com
Advia is seeking to build a building that would include a branch, administrative offices, a community room and retail space. According to MLive.com, the rezoning request was the topic of a lengthy debate, as Oshtemo officials and residents were concerned with the compatibility with adjacent neighborhoods and potential for other commercial development on the property.
Advia said it will work on a revised application that takes neighboring residential areas into consideration. A revised application is expected to be on the Sept. 14 agenda, MLive.com reported. The project is significantly larger than other nearby developments, the report noted.
Adiva President Cheryl DeBoer told MLive.com the credit union is out of space in its current 24,000-square-foot building in Parchment, Mich. The property has not yet been purchased, but she told the Township Board that the first floor would contain a community room available for educational, civic and recreational uses, along with a credit union branch and retail space, MLive.com reported.
"We really want to be a great part of the community," DeBoer was quoted as saying. "I'm a woman who has a house and appreciates property values. We want to be considerate of the neighborhood. I'm more than willing to work with the community to find out what is reasonable for both of us."
DeBoer added the credit union has grown rapidly and will add 60 jobs in 2018.