Spokane Teachers Credit Union, Spokanes biggest credit union, plans in August to open a branch in the skywalk level of the Crescent Court downtown.


Teachers is the first credit union to open such a highly visible branch in the downtown core, at least in recent history, says the credit unions spokeswoman Kathleen Kozlowski. The new branch will replace a smaller one in the basement of the Bank of America Financial Center downtown, at 601 W. Riverside.


The credit union selected the Crescent Court location after conducting a focus group made up of both credit union members and non-members who work in the downtown area. The group wholeheartedly supported such a downtown branch, she says.


Were thrilled to be part of the scenario in downtown, Kozlowski says. This branch is going to be much more main stream than the credit unions branch in the Bank of America building.


In the new branch, Teachers, which serves about 67,000 members, will occupy 1,300 square feet of leased space on the skywalk level just across from the Crescent Court food court and between Evan Michaels & Sons jewelers and a GTE Wireless outlet. The credit union has leased the space from G&B Real Estate Services, the Spokane company that owns the Crescent Court development.


The new full-service branch will employ five people, Kozlowski says. Teachers also plans to install a 24-hour automated teller machine that will be adjacent to the branch office.


Teachers, which currently operates five branches in Spokane and one in Newport, offers service to anyone who lives or works in the greater Spokane area, to school employees who work in the Spokane area, to Spokane-based alumni of any Washington college or university, and to residents of Stevens County.


Separately, Brian and Mona Dershem, of Spokane, plan to open an about 1,000-square-foot Postal Annex + outlet in the skywalk level of Crescent Court near the planned location of Teachers new branch. The Postal Annex + outlet will be located at the south end of the skywalk that crosses Main Avenue and leads to the second phase of the River Park Square development from Crescent Court.


Mona Dershem says the outlet is expected to open next month. The Dershems expect to hire two employees initially and hope to add another two employees later.


Postal Annex + outlets offer faxing, packaging, shipping, and mailing services, as well as copying, laminating, and binding services. Dershem says the location in the Crescent Court will have a copy machine available to customers for a fee and will handle high-speed or color copying for clients. The store also will rent mailboxes, take passport photos, make keys, and provide notary services, she says.


Postal Annex +, the San Diego-based franchiser, already has five franchised outlets in the Spokane-Coeur dAlene area. The downtown location will be the first store to be owned and operated by the Dershems.