Credit Union of America to move from the west side to new east-side headquarters

Credit Union of America has purchased the former IMA Financial Group building at 8200 E. 32nd St. North, near K-96 and Rock Road.

The building’s 55,000 square feet is “significantly . . . bigger than what we have now,” said Glenda Burkett, communications and corporate giving director.

IMA moved to a new building at Douglas and Emporia late last year.

Currently, the credit union is at 650 S. Westdale, about a block west of Town & Country.

When it opened there about a decade ago, it occupied only two thirds of the main floor of the two-story, 25,000-square-foot building. That changed through the years.

“We have filled up the Westdale building,” Burkett said.

She said a lot of that is because of technology services and the implementation of intelligent teller machines.

“They’re kind of like a really smart ATM,” Burkett said. “It’s increased our back-office support departments.”

The machines are already in branches in Salina and Pratt and will be added to branches in Hutchinson and Great Bend. About half of the nine Wichita branches have them, and the rest will get them in the next year to year and a half.

There will not be a branch at the new headquarters.

Like when the credit union moved to Westdale, Burkett said the credit union won’t immediately need all of the space at its new headquarters.

The move to the new building will happen in June after some light remodeling.

Craig Ablah of Classic Real Estate and Randy Johnston of J.P. Weigand & Sons handled the transaction.

Burkett said the credit union will sell the Westdale building.

With the move, Burkett said the sunflower-designed Keeper of the Plains statue outside the credit union’s current headquarters won’t make the move to the new building because it won’t be as visible there. Instead, it will be donated to Southeast High School.

Wichita teachers started Credit Union of America in 1935, and the credit union has had ties to Southeast for a few years after giving it seed money — no pun intended, Burkett said — for a community garden a few years ago.

Burkett said the credit union is appreciative of its members, especially during the pandemic when its lobbies haven’t been able to be open much of the time.

“We’re pleased to be in the community and growing.”