Last Updated on October 8, 2021, 2:52 PM | Published: October 8, 2021
Oklahoma City (Free Press) — True Sky Credit Union* notched two more branch location groundbreakings Wednesday and Thursday in its eight-county expansion throughout metro Oklahoma City.
Wednesday, ground was broken on a new Midwest City branch building project near the intersection of Reno and Midwest Boulevard. The pad site shares an entry and parking with WinCo Foods (former Target).
“We love doing these kinds of events, and moving forward,” Sean Cahill told Free Press after the groundbreaking ceremony. He explained that Midwest City is where they currently have members and they intend to expand their membership there.
That intersection is a high traffic area in Midwest City near several hospitals, city buildings, and other high-traffic retail such as Walgreens, and Walmart Neighborhood Market.
When completed, the branch will be the same architectural concept as the latest branch to open at N.E. 50th and Martin Luther King in Oklahoma City. The design is new and modern but is meant to be reminiscent of a control tower and airport architecture. In its early years, the credit union was formed by FAA employees who train air traffic controllers at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City and still has that employee group as its loyal base.
Greg Hill is a board member and retired from the FAA in 2015 after what he describes as “the fastest 42 years of my life.” He said that the branch in Midwest City is “long overdue.”
“We really didn’t have much presence in the northeast part of Oklahoma County,” Hill told Free Press. “We do have members who live over here and have been a part of the credit union for many, many years. So this gives us an opportunity to not only serve them but also to expand.”
“Our mission has always been to serve the community,” said Hill. “Basically, we try to give a community what they need. Someone can come in with all the expertise, all the resources, it really is gonna play well in the community. Now you help someone and can make a difference, not only in their life, their family’s life, but the community.”
The Midwest City groundbreaking follows recent expansion into the historic east side of Oklahoma City, a once racially segregated area that has seen much investment for long-term future development but little investment for the people who live in the area at the present.
To learn more:
True Sky Credit Union expands personal banking services on Eastside
And, to learn more about their second Grand Opening of their N.E. 50th and MLK branch:
True Sky Credit Union eastside branch restored after flooding setback
Not only is True Sky expanding east, it is also expanding south in the metro.
Newcastle branch groundbreaking
Thursday ground was broken on True Sky’s Newcastle location at 761 NW 32nd Street which will also include a business incubator space for startups and other small businesses in the fast-growing suburb on the metro’s far south edge.
Jay Foote, Chief Experience Officer, talked to us about the opportunities startups will have through the incubator co-working space they will call “Hanger 46.”
“We realize there’s a need down in Newcastle. It’s a booming area so this is going to be a great opportunity for our members to be able to start learning or start building their own business at a much lower cost than trying to go out and have their own retail space,” said Foote. “So, this helps bridge that gap from basic startup to up and running.”
Co-working space expansion
The Newcastle branch and the new headquarters that will open next month on South Western will both have co-working spaces that will provide organic contact between those who are working on startups or who need to push to the next level in their business.
The Newcastle location and the new southside location will have “Hanger 46” coworking spaces. In addition, the new southside location will have a “Pre-flight” program designed to help startups.
“We are truly proud of our Pre-flight and our Hangar 46 program, which is going to be a first stage and second stage incubator for the community and help these businesses achieve their dreams,” said Cahill. He said the Hangar 46 program will be “half the price” of other co-working spaces.
“We want to be able to give back to our members to help them achieve their business dreams,” said Cahill. “But, they’re going to have access to all of our executives. It’s crazy. So, if they need assistance for accounting, if they need assistance, and social media strategy, any assistance in putting together an HR plan, write an employee handbook, they’re going to have all of that, and access to all of our executives free. And you know, that, to me is truly partnering with the business to help them achieve their dreams.”
*True Sky Credit Union is one of our sponsors.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
