TSB Bank Ground Breaking Ceremony 07/24/2006

Titonka Savings Bank President and CEO Allan J. Boyken talks about his bank's new building during groundbreaking ceremonies for the new facility.

By Bob Fenske of The Summit

FOREST CITY - The rain held off long enough Monday afternoon for the dirt to be turned, and when it was over, the first, albeit mostly ceremonial, phase of the construction of a new bank was completed.

More than 60 business, city and county leaders attended groundbreaking ceremonies for a new 18,000-square-foot Titonka Savings Bank building that will be constructed near the intersection of Highway 69 and J Street.

And they were greeted by an obviously happy TSB President and CEO Allan J. Boyken, who told the crowd that the new facility represents "the commitment we have to Forest City."

Other dignitaries to speak included Mayor George Wilson, Forest City Chamber of Commerce President Dwight Pierson and Scott Voigt, the owner of TurnKey Associates, a Waterloo firm that specializes in designing and building banking facilities.

Virtually all of TSB's employees were on hand and they were decked out in yellow TSB shirts, prompting Wilson to joke that he didn't have any trouble figuring out whom the TSB employees were.

Voigt, meanwhile, once again pledged to use as many local contractors in the construction phase of the facility that should open in July 2007.

The path to the new building was cleared on July 17, when the City Council agreed to a tax-increment financing plan and to paving the alley located just east of the future bank building.