WARSAW — The four-story building formerly used by United Telephone west of Lake City Bank's corporate headquarters in downtown Warsaw is about to undergo a brick-by-brick facelift.

Renovations are part of a $12 million transformation of what will be the bank's future Innovation and Technology Center, and Davild Findlay, the bank's chairman and chief executive officer, said it will include structural revisions that "will require us to peel off the facade of the building, brick by brick, and reinforce the structural components of the building and then use that exact same brick to come back and refinish the facade."

[caption id="attachment_119868" align="alignright" width="190"] David Findlay[/caption]

Engineers with Weigand Construction were asked about that decision, and they called it "some of the highest quality brick we've ever seen," Findlay recalled.

"So apparently, we bought a building with really good brick and we're going to take if off, clean it and put it back on,"  he said.

On top of a nicely improved exterior, the improvements are seen as key for the company.

While the bank has always been a “quick follower” on technology, Findlay said, “More importantly, we  need to be innovative because we compete with some of the biggest  banks in the Midwest, and it’s important that we’re constantly thinking about innovation and moving the business forward to ensure we stay competitive with those big banks.”

Lake City Bank's downtown headquarters was renovated about ten years ago and is now a template for new offices, he said.

The new expansion will likely provide growth for the company for the next ten years.

Preserving the building's history is more evidence of the company's 153-year-old commitment to the downtown, where the bank has six buildings that will be home to more than 300 employees when the expansion is complete.

Findlay likes to say the bank has been in a growth mode for its entire existence, but it's been much more pronounced in its geographical expansion since 1990, when it opened a branch in Elkhart County.

These days, the bank opens about two branches per year.

They opened their 55th office with one in Westfield two weeks ago.

Most of the offices are in northcentral and northeastern Indiana, but they have moved into the Indianapolis market in recent years. They now have a presence in 15 Indiana counties, with three of those in central Indiana

He said they're seeing good growth in all areas, including Kosciusko County.

He was effusive about the local business climate, which has benefited from support from Zimmer Biomet and Orthoworx as well as other entities, but was especially complimentary about the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce and the Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation. better known as KEDCO.

"We really have a dynamite team from a chamber of commerce and economic development perspective, and I think because of those two organizations, we punch above our weight on economic development."

Mayor Jeff Grose and his administration have a long list of ideas that will help bolster and expand the downtown, Findlay said.

"That's why it's so important for Lake City Bank to be so supportive of what's going on in downtown Warsaw," Findlay said. "We've invested a substantive amount of money in our facilities, in our people, and in our technologies and our headquarters, and we're going to continue to do that."

Findlay was asked about parking.

He said the bank supports plans by the city and county to construct a parking garage and believes it will be a benefit, but said the bank, with its large number of existing parking lots, won’t need to rely on the future structure.

“We’ve got our parking situation figured out already with the surface lots we’ve got,” he said.

As it turns out, the bank project will coincide with a major apartment construction project a few blocks to the west (on the old Owen's property) for much of the next 12 months or so.

Perimeter fencing and traffic barriers were put up last week around both sites.

Renovations to the LCB's future Innovation and Technology Center, he said, will cause some disruption for motorists, but will result in "an incredibly good facility for a long, long time."

[caption id="attachment_119870" align="aligncenter" width="730"] The southbound lane of traffic on Indiana Street south of Center Street in Warsaw is currently closed for an exterior renovation on a Lake City Bank property across from its headquarters. New Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

The post Lake City Bank’s renovations to former United Telephone building will include a brick-by-brick facelift appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — Lake City Bank announced its plans to invest $12 million in the company’s Innovation and Technology Center as part of its downtown Warsaw headquarters campus expansion.

The project represents the bank’s continued investment in Warsaw and Kosciusko County, where it has invested $23 million in downtown Warsaw and $31 million total countywide to date since 2010, according to a news release from Lake City Bank.

Construction on the 35,600-square-foot office building will begin this month, with completion of the project expected by summer 2026.

Originally constructed in 1968 and purchased by Lake City Bank in 2024, the facility will undergo a full interior and exterior transformation to modernize the space.

“Warsaw has been our home since the bank was founded in 1872 and this project continues our 153-year history of continuous investment in our hometown,” said David M. Findlay, chairman and chief executive officer.

“Today, 283 Lake City Bank team members work in downtown Warsaw, representing the largest employer downtown. The Innovation and Technology Center will provide our team with space to continue our growth as a progressive, technology-driven community bank.”

The renovated Innovation and Technology Center will support Lake City Bank’s growing teams and serve as a central hub of innovation and collaboration across departments within the bank. The renovated space will have capacity for approximately 110 employees. The building currently hosts 40 team members as part of the bank’s downtown Warsaw campus.

“The Innovation and Technology Center will be home to our technology services, information security, application management and project management teams. Collaboration among those teams is vital to our continued success in delivering robust technology-driven products and services for our customers. This renovation provides a space specifically designed to foster collaboration and positions us for future growth,” said Findlay.

The Innovation and Center will bring a modern design that fits with the bank’s forward-thinking brand identity and complements the architectural character of downtown Warsaw, the release states. The exterior renovations include the removal and structural repair of the existing brick façade, with the original brick preserved and repurposed for the project.

“Lake City Bank relishes opportunities to repurpose older buildings and bring them back to life with major capital investments, as we have done with all six our existing buildings on our downtown Warsaw campus and now with the Innovation and Technology Center,” said Kristin L. Pruitt, president. “We’re eager to get to work on the project and look forward to celebrating its completion with the community next summer as we begin a new chapter in Warsaw with this renovation.”

Lake City Bank, a $7 billion bank headquartered in Warsaw, was founded in 1872 and serves central and northern Indiana communities with 55 branch offices and a digital banking platform. Lake City Bank’s community banking model prioritizes building in-market long-term customer relationships while delivering technology-forward solutions for retail and commercial clients, the release states.

The bank is the single bank subsidiary of Lakeland Financial Corporation. For more information, visit www.lakecitybank.com.

The post LCB’s $12 million in renovations in downtown Warsaw set to begin soon appeared first on News Now Warsaw.

WARSAW — Lake City Bank purchased the 35,600-square-foot three-story office building at 122 E. Center St., in downtown Warsaw on Friday.

The office building will significantly expand the bank’s Warsaw campus and support the continued growth of Lake City Bank, according to a news release from Lake City Bank. The newly acquired building will be substantially renovated and modernized and renamed the Lake City Bank Innovation and Technology Center.

Lake City Bank has been headquartered in Warsaw since the bank was founded in 1872 and employs 279 employees in the downtown Warsaw campus, representing the largest employer in downtown Warsaw. Lake City Bank will grow from that employee total, and the office building can be occupied by more than 70 people.

“This acquisition adds the sixth building to our downtown Warsaw campus and represents our continued commitment to the bank’s hometown. Throughout our 152-year history, we’ve been focused on taking care of our clients and communities in every Hoosier community we serve. Increasingly, our clients are relying upon technology-driven solutions to manage their financial needs. The Lake City Bank Innovation and Technology Center will be home to our technology services, information security, application management and project management teams and will provide the bank with significant room to continue our growth well into the future,” said David M. Findlay, chairman and chief executive officer.

“Since 2010, we’ve invested approximately $30 million in our Warsaw facilities and in our Kosciusko County bank offices. We have fully renovated and modernized our entire Warsaw footprint. We’ve proudly taken older buildings and brought them back to life with these major capital investments in our hometown,” he said.

The building was constructed in 1968 by the United Telephone Company of Indiana to support the region’s telecommunications industry.

The third floor has been leased by Lake City Bank since 2012. The first and second floors will be renovated to support additional future growth, according to the release. The exterior of the building will be updated to reflect the bank’s current brand position.

In addition to the added capacity for office space, Lake City Bank will incorporate flexible space options such as a coffee meeting location, a walk-up ITM and various meeting rooms with modern conference-calling capabilities to enhance communications with other locations in the Lake City Bank footprint, the release states.

“For 152 years, Lake City Bank has been growing and investing in the Warsaw community,” said Kristin L. Pruitt, president. “Our investment in this facility is strategic and will support the continued growth of our collaborative teams who deliver innovative products and services to our customers.”

Lake City Bank, a $6.6 billion bank headquartered in Warsaw, was founded in 1872 and serves central and northern Indiana communities with 54 branch offices and a robust digital banking platform.

The post Lake City Bank acquires former United Telephone building appeared first on News Now Warsaw.