At the recent groundbreaking for its new branch on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), First National Bank Alaska announced that the new facility would be named the North Star Branch. Vice Chair Betsy Lawer made the announcement after remarks by bank chairman and president D.H. Cuddy

The new 3,950-square-foot branch will have a staff of seven and include two drive-up lanes, a drive-up ATM, and night drop depository. The North Star Branch will also house the first full-function customer kiosk in the First National system, where customers can handle routine banking transactions online without teller assistance.

First National has a history of nearly 70 years of serving Alaska’s military, beginning in 1943 with a facility on Adak, providing banking services to soldiers and civilian workers stationed there during World War II.

Cole & Thompson Architects, headquartered in Anchorage, designed the North Star Branch. MCN Construction, Inc., also of Anchorage, is the primary contractor for branch construction, scheduled for completion in late 2012. Estimated construction cost is $2.1 million.