From the Blog
New Year, New Us , New Updates
Posted by Samira Rajan on Jan 11, 2024
Amanda’s blog post last month celebrated all the good stuff of 2024, from new deposits to a fantastic discussion series that is bringing members back together building resilience and community In Real Life.
However, 2024 wasn’t done with us yet …. In the first week of December, two long-awaited transactions were completed. First, Brooklyn Coop signed a rental lease with Restoration Plaza to take over the old Chase branch there. We are doing the fastest renovation job possible and will open in February 2025. I am thankful that our Bed-Stuy members have stuck with us despite the closure of the Dekalb branch, and I believe without a single doubt that locating a credit union branch in the Plaza is ideal for Brooklyn Coop as well as for Bed-Stuy overall.
The second transaction will be transformational. For years, I have wanted to buy a permanent home in Bushwick for the credit union. It is our version of the American Dream of homeownership — Brooklyn Coop wants to be free of landlord whims (see above re: closure of Dekalb branch); to assure our members of our commitment to our neighborhood; to offer our staff a modern workplace operating with minimal carbon footprint; and to be a source of local pride for decades.
The ink is now dry and I’m excited to announce that the ground floor of a new building at 1308 Myrtle Avenue belongs to Brooklyn Coop! The first floor plus basement gives us over 6,000 square feet of space for tellers, loan officers, back office functions, IRL workshops, tax prep, … all the things. Tax prep is starting straightaway – make an appointment at Grow Brooklyn’s website.
Thereafter, since the building is brand new, interior renovations will only take a few months. I hope to move in before year-end 2025, but I’ll share updates here as we go along.
We wish each of you a joyous, financially secure 2025!
