Santa Fe residents and customers of Los Alamos National Bank (LANB) will have a convenient new downtown location to do their banking business. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the pueblo architecture style bank will be Thursday July 10 at 10 a.m. at the northeast corner of Catron and Griffin streets in the Santa Fe Historic District.

The latest LANB Santa Fe office, christened the Downtown office, is designed by Lloyd & Associates Architects based in Santa Fe, and will be built by Mabry Construction of Santa Fe at an estimated cost of $4.3 million. Construction of the LANB Downtown office is expected to be completed in the spring of 2004.

The latest LANB Santa Fe office will have two distinguishable characteristics designed to enhance the City's Historic District. One element is the underground parking garage that will accommodate up to 88 parking spaces, making it convenient for customers to park in the downtown area. Another feature that will be unique to the Downtown branch is a water harvesting system that will be used on the buildings surrounding landscaping. The water harvesting system will gather rainwater that collects on the bank roof and parking lot, funneling the liquid bounty for storage in an underground twenty-five thousand gallon cistern.

"Working with Los Alamos National Bank on this project was a wonderful experience for the firm," said Alan Baer, Team Supervisor with Lloyd & Associates Architects, "the management team was fully involved in the development plan, especially with concerns for the community and their desire to be good neighbors." For instance, Los Alamos National Bank offered Carlos Gilbert Elementary School, which is across the street from the new bank, use of the underground parking garage during evening school events and activities.

When in operation, the new LANB Santa Fe office will be a full service bank offering all existing products including business and residential mortgage loans. "The Downtown office will allow Los Alamos National Bank to better serve our existing Santa Fe customers and will be a convenient location for new customers," said Fidel Gutierrez, Senior Vice President of Los Alamos National Bank.

Los Alamos National Bank (LANB) is one of the largest independent banks in New Mexico with assets of $928 million. Established in 1963 by a group of local investors, LANB continues to be locally owned and operated by Trinity Capital Corporation (TCC). TCC provides banking, trust and title company services to northern New Mexico and employs 269 people in its offices in Los Alamos, White Rock and Santa Fe.