Community First Credit Union Starts Construction on Beachwalk Branch

Credit union building freestanding location, its third in St. Johns County

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., June 10, 2024 – Community First Credit Union has started construction on its newest expansion branch located at 525 Beachwalk Shore Drive in St. Johns County. The credit union’s Beachwalk Branch will be its 23rd branch when it opens in early 2025. Community First purchased the land for the branch in November 2023. The branch was designed by TTV Architects and is being built by Auld & White Constructors.

Community First’s Beachwalk location is an outparcel to the retail center at Beachwalk. Upon completion, the 3,150-square-foot Beachwalk Branch will feature a full-service lobby and drive-thru, two ATMs (drive-up and walk-up), and Community First’s signature tower feature.

Designed with Community First's modern branch concept, the Beachwalk Branch will have an open floor plan, upgraded digital technologies, and a historical mural depicting the history of eastern St. Johns. The branch will serve the nearly 4,000 Community First members living within five miles of the retail center.

This new branch is part of the credit union’s Branch Transformation Project, which aims to enhance member service by configuring spaces to create a modern retail experience. Beachwalk will be the credit union’s third branch location in St. Johns County. 

“The Beachwalk and greater eastern St. Johns County are growing rapidly,” said John Hirabayashi, CEO and president of Community First. “Community First is aggressively expanding our branch network to better serve residents where they live.”

Community First is undertaking its largest one-time investment in its branch network with five expansion branches in the works or newly opened. In addition to the new Beachwalk, the credit union recently opened its 20th branch at Northpoint Village and its 21st branch at Boulevard Crossing and its 22nd branch in Murabella. It also announced on May 31 it has closed on land for its Callahan Branch, which will become its 24th branch and second in Nassau County when it opens in 2025. It is also building a new location for its Baymeadows Branch in Southside Quarter on Gate Parkway.

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 $2.7 billion in assets and serving 171,000 members. Community First has 20 locations and more than 400 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. 

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