After years of being mistaken for post office, the Ridgewood branch of the Maspeth Federal Savings bank celebrated the completion of the renovations to its interior and held a grand re-opening on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
The renovations include eye-popping signage, a new floor layout and a new digital bar for local business partners to promote themselves.
“The work that we’ve done right now is the vision that we were looking for: take the operations that happen inside and let the outside see it,” said Maspeth Federal Savings President and CEO Tom Rudzewick.
In place of the brick facade and heavy block-letter signage, a wall of large glass panes open up the banking floor to the street, so that neighbors can look into the bank as they walk past. In addition to the teller windows, the layout will now include universal banker stations and cash recyclers.
The bank will also add a digital bar near the front window — a spot where some of the small businesses that are customers of the bank can show their wares.
The Ridgewood branch of the bank was the sixth and most recent to open in 1998. Since then the bank has renovated three of its other branches.
Rudzewick said that he knew this location was the spot to stay. Even though he considered relocating to a place that could accommodate a drive-through window, he eventually decided that the foot traffic along Fresh Pond Road could not be beat.
The bank partnered with various businesses for the construction and design. Maspeth Press provided all the signage all the stationary to make the bank more colorful. Manhattan’s Gilmore Associates was the designer who brought the vision to life with renderings. Glen Oaks Electric, run by Middle Village native Andrew Lennon, took care of the electric work.
At the ceremony, Rudzewick recognized a number of charitable organizations for their service to the community. The list included: Associazione Culturale Italiana Di New York; Community Advocacy Center, Inc.; East Coast Car Association; Greater Ridgewood Historical Society; Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corporation; Greater Ridgewood Youth Council; Newtown Historical Society; Peter Cardella Senior Citizen Center; Ridgewood Older Adult Center; Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps; Veterans of Foreign Wars; Ridgewood Kiwanis Club; and Polonians Organized to Minister to Our Community.
