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Community First Credit Union Wildlight Branch

Community First Credit Union Plans Wildlight Branch

12.16.2024 / Maria Coppola APR, CPRC
News

Credit Union is in the very early stages of planning for the site

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Dec. 16, 2024 – Community First Credit Union, one of Florida’s largest credit unions, announces it will continue the expansion of its branch network with a location planned for Wildlight in Nassau County. Community First purchased a 1.19-acre commercial parcel at Crosstown Avenue and State Road 200/A1A on December 11, 2024. The lot is in Pod 4 of the Wildlight Masterplan. 

Development of the branch is underway, but Community First intends to build a 3,100-square-foot, freestanding branch with a drive-thru, two ATMs and the credit union’s signature tower feature. It will resemble the credit union’s Northpoint Village Branch in North Jacksonville. The branch will be designed by TTV Architects, Inc. and will be built by Auld & White Constructors, LLC. The branch is scheduled to open in 2026.

Community First has served Nassau with a branch in Yulee since 2018. It has nearly 10,000 members in the county with approximately 2,000 in the Wildlight area. The Wildlight Branch will be Community First’s third branch in Nassau County where it has a branch in the Villages of Amelia shopping center and a branch under construction in Callahan. 

“The Wildlight community is growing and is in need of accessible and local financial services,” said Sam Inman, president and CEO of Community First. “We are committed to serving our members where they are.”
Community First is expanding and improving its branch network, aiming to enhance member service by configuring spaces to create a modern retail experience. Designed with Community First's updated branch concept, its new branches have open floor plans, upgraded digital technologies, and a historical mural depicting the history of the locations. 

Community First is undertaking its largest historic investment in its branch network with eight new branches announced or opened since 2022 when it had 19 locations. The credit union recently opened its Gate Parkway Branch, is building new branches in Beachwalk and Callahan and announced property purchases in Treaty Oaks in St. Johns and in Green Cove Springs. 

Jonathan Heldenbrand of ProperCRE represented Community First in the transaction. The property was purchased from Wildlight, LLC. 

Community First Credit Union of Florida, is a state-chartered credit union based in Jacksonville serving anyone who lives or works on the First Coast. Community First is one of the largest credit unions in Florida with $2.8 billion in assets and serving 175,000 members. Community First has 22 locations and more than 450 employees. A not-for-profit, Community First is a full-service financial institution offering banking, loans, mortgages and investments for consumers and businesses across the First Coast. Visit www.communityfirstfl.org.

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