Bremer Bank Breaks Ground on New Highbanks Plaza

(KNSI) — Bremer Bank officially broke ground on its new, full-service branch location in downtown St. Cloud.

Part of the $8 million Highbanks Plaza development at the southeast corner of Second Street South and Fifth Avenue South is located at the former St. Cloud City Hall building, which is being demolished as part of the redevelopment. Bremer Bank says while the two-story, nearly 20,00 square foot building will be new, it will fit in with the more historic looking buildings nearby to complement the surrounding neighborhood’s architectural style and historical context.

“For nearly 100 years, Bremer Bank has been proud to be a valuable banking resource for the St. Cloud community,” said Bremer President and CEO Jeanne Crain. “While downtown may look different than when Bremer first opened its doors here, our commitment to this city and our customers is steadfast. We remain committed to providing quality and value-added financial services to our central Minnesota customers in a more modern and personalized environment that puts customers first and competitively positions us for decades to come.”

The inside of Bremer’s new St. Cloud branch will look different. According to a company press release, accessible partner tables in the lobby with open workstations in the building’s welcome plaza will replace the traditional bank teller lines. Over 80 employees will work in the new space.

The new location will be used for regional operations to serve in central Minnesota. Bremer’s former St. Cloud branch at 1100 W. St. Germain Street will be acquired by St. Cloud-based Granite Partners and become “an innovation hub and headquarters for Granite’s growth in the region,” according to the release.

The building is scheduled to be completed by summer 2023.

Minnesota-based Frauenshuh, Inc. and Inventure Properties are the project’s development and project management consultants, and RJM Construction is the general contractor.

A ceremonial groundbreaking event is being planned for August.

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