HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — A gleaming glass, steel and cement superstructure that has been erected in Hagåtña is the latest addition to the downtown skyline and burgeoning business and financial district of Guam.
The Community First Guam Federal Credit Union opened its brand new Hagåtña headquarters and Member Service Center, located in the heart of the capital village along Chalan Canton Tasi, also known as Route 4. The headquarters adds to the revitalized downtown architecture and joins the boulevard with other landmark businesses like the Bank of Guam, the Nanbo Insurance building and the Pay-Less Supermarkets corporate headquarters, just to name a few. The Agana Shopping Center, Guam Museum, Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica and Guam Congress Building are literally a stone’s throw away.
“This new location cements our permanence and commitment to the people and community of Guam,” said Gerry Cruz, the president and CEO of the company.
“My focus and the direction of the board of directors, for decades, has always been for the benefit of the community. We believe in that. It’s not just a logo on our shirts,” Cruz said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony held Saturday.
“This signifies the establishment of real equity for our members, as we own the property and facility. We are no longer tenants,” Cruz added.
“If you look around, you can see that the floor plan has an open design that represents our transparency in banking practices and services,” Cruz said. “The open and airy design is very representative of the late architect (Andrew) Laguana, and I can feel his spirit here,” said Cruz, referring to the late Andrew Laguana, a renowned architect who died in 2022.
“The credit union originally was the NavMar Federal Credit Union, formed in 1962, but that institution and its services were only available to service members and federal employees,” said Cruz. “The charter was revised in 1997, and in 2000, the Community First Federal Credit Union began serving the community.”
Construction on the $7.5 million 15,000-square-foot facility began in 2021, which is now open to anyone who wishes to join.
“If you live, work or worship on Guam, you can join Community First. We are a full-service financial institution that can service residents with consumer banking and a full range of commercial banking needs, from commercial loans, deposits and online banking,” said Cruz.
“We are so grateful to the people of Guam for being our partner for the past 60 years. Our success is a reflection of the confidence that the community has placed in us,” said Cruz.
