AIM Credit Union will soon be moving its Burlington branch from 3001 Sylvania Drive to 337 N. Roosevelt Ave. near the intersection of East Agency Street.
The move to the former Coal Haus 337 building currently being renovated on Burlington’s busiest thoroughfare is expected to be complete by late fall, according to John Sutter, senior director of marketing for the credit union. .
AIM purchased the commercial building from Coal Haus owner Chase Gibb in February.
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“AIM currently employs five people in Burlington. Staff can be added as needed,” Sutter said.
The restaurant’s move to the credit union involved using special equipment to remove a nearly 12,000-pound, 10-by-9-foot ceramic brick charcoal kiln from the site for storage in a warehouse and a office building owned by Gibb.
“I have no interest in selling it. I might put it back in service one day, you never know,” said Gibb, a real estate investor who also owns and operates The Buffalo Tavern in Burlington and Buffalo61 Bar & Grille in Ft. Madison. .
Workers had set up the Seattle-made heavy oven using a crane, but “we didn’t need it to get it out,” Gibb said of Jason Samples of Dingus Transport in Danville who did the work.
Instead, “we had to drill a hole in the side of the building to remove it and Jason did the removal and transport,” he said. Workers covered the hole with a tarp before putting up a temporary wall.
According to Sutter, the new AIM Burlington site is “about the same size (as the current one), but the new location has more usable space and will be more conducive to member transactions.”
Credit union officials are touting the Burlington branch move as a way to add more services, like safe deposit boxes, to a convenient location.
“We’re moving to add features that aren’t possible at our current location, including an ATM and double teller lines,” Sutter said. “It will also allow for a conference room to meet members outside the staff offices. The new location is also more visible and easier to access for our members.”
After more than 20 years doing business under the Alliant banner, the credit union has rebranded itself as AIM Credit Union as it seeks to attract new members and avoid confusion with another, much larger Alliant Credit Union. .
AIM, formerly known as Alliant Credit Union, is based in Dubuque and came to the Burlington area through a partnership merger with Three I Credit Union in 2015.
Alliant changed its name to AIM on January 1.
With this move, AIM intends to make the branch more visible and accessible to its members and the community, and to increase its membership in the Greater Burlington area.
AIM is the 20th largest credit union in Iowa with assets totaling $165.62 million and providing banking services to over 11,000 members as of June 2022.
AIM has two branches in Dubuque, one in Cedar Rapids and one in Burlington.
“This relocation enables future growth in all segments we serve, including Alliant Energy, industries, healthcare professionals, unions, educators and many other employee groups,” said Mike Moroney, president and CEO.
The location of 337 N. Roosevelt for many years was Sarducci’s, which served Italian fare in a fast-food style, and closed in late October 2016.
Then Alfano’s Ristorante Italiano moved in before Coal Haus 337 opened in 2019.
Although indoor dining and take-out from Coal Haus 337 on Roosevelt Street is no longer an option, people can enjoy pizzas and giant wings cooked in two 7,000-pound portable wood-fired ovens transported by trailer and operated by Gibb’s Fork Catering Co. at local events. , catering services and pop-up pizza.
Gibb said he has no plans to open any more brick-and-mortar restaurants, instead focusing on bringing his unparalleled culinary opportunities to locals through the restaurant business.
A high demand for catering services keeps him and his employees busy.
“We are very careful about restoration and the way we take care of people. There is a need for restoration and if we do something, we go there and give it our full attention,” he said. declared.