Service One Credit Union, located on the lower level of Garrett Center for the last 19 years, is planning to move off campus into its own facility in the next two years.

Service One president Valerie Brown said the credit union, which has about 4,000 members nationwide, will not vacate its on-campus location until at least December 2003.

The credit union plans to build a more spacious banking facility that will border campus, she said.

The credit union pays the university $10,180 yearly to lease about 500 square feet of space in Garrett, Brown said, but that the space has become too cramped for employees.

“They’ll have hopefully a much larger facility with a drive-thru,” said Brown, who works at another off-campus office in Bowling Green.

The credit union?s five-year renewable lease ends in October. Brown said the facility will renew its lease and remain in Garrett until a new location is found.

“It”s much better for the credit union not to lease property but to own property near the university,” Brown said.

Louisville junior April King, a credit union customer, said she’d welcome a move if the new building is within walking distance of campus.

“It was convenient coming up here,” she said.

Brown said Garrett is good for the credit union’s purpose, but the move is needed.

“We’re in a really good spot, there’s no doubt about it, but we’re on a lease,” she said. “So we really just want to insure we stay close to campus.”

Brown said the credit union recently purchased a building and property near campus at East 15th Street with the intention of making it their new home.

But the credit union is now searching for another location because the building at East 15th would not accommodate a drive-thru.

Gene Tice, vice president of Student Affairs and Campus Services, said he believes students would welcome a move to a new facility if it were a convenient location.

John Osborne, vice president for Campus Services and Facilities, said administrators are aware of Service One’s intention to move.

There have been no plans made between Western and Service One about the possible relocation, he said.

Brown said the Automated Teller Machine located outside Service One’s door could possibly stay in its current location, even if the credit union moves.

Osborne said the university is open to that possibility as well.

The on-campus location has three full-time and three part-time employees. The credit union is open to Western faculty, staff and students, as well as public educators.

Service One also has locations in Bowling Green on Campbell Lane, 31-W Bypass and the Glasgow campus.

Reach Joseph Lord at [email protected].