Print edition: 
Equity Bank is taking on a small expansion project at its headquarters building in east Wichita.
The $483 million-asset bank is adding 1,700 square feet on the first floor of the eight-story Equity Financial Center, 7701 E. Kellogg. It also is doing some reconfiguring of offices on the second floor.
Brad Elliott, Equity's chairman and CEO, said the extra space will be for the bank's commercial officers and staff.
"We will focus our commercial sales in one area," Elliott said Wednesday.
Previously the commercial bankers' offices had been spread between the first and second floors of the building.
A remodeling project is under way for the new offices and is expected to be complete in a few weeks, Elliott said.
Commerce Construction is the general contractor.
The new space will feature a conference area for commercial officers to meet as well as to conduct client meetings.
Elliott said the decision to expand came after the area was vacated by another tenant.
Joe Verbeckmoes of Benchmark Real Estate Group handled the deal.
Before, commercial customers entered from a different entrance to the building to meet with commercial officers, and then they had to try to track them down.
When the project is completed, Elliott said commercial customers will enter through the bank's retail center, which has a separate entrance at the building, to enter the new commercial banking offices.
"It gives that group a chance to sit and work with customers and talk to them about their banking needs," Elliott said. "It's more easily accessible from the customer standpoint."
He said the expansion is not related to Equity's pending acquisitions of University National Bank in Lawrence and the four Topeka branches of Citizens Bank & Trust in Chillicothe, Mo.
Both of those deals, announced in September, are expected to close before the end of the year.
