NATIONAL Commercial Bank of Jamaica (NCB) spent $1 billion to create its new NCB Banking Financial Services Centre in the Constant Spring area of Kingston which consolidates two branches into one, stated NCB chairman Michael Lee-Chin.

“This building is symbolic of NCB’s commitment to our people and customers offering a well appointed space for business as a one-stop shop for financial peace of mind,” stated Lee-Chin in his speech at the launch on Thursday night.

The 20,700 square foot-premises will house 73 staff members from the consolidated branches formerly at Manor Park and Manor Centre and will also include wealth services officers.

Lee-Chin explained that during construction 300 jobs were created including surveyors, construction professionals, electricians, security, landscape artists, gardeners and others.

“Our ‘bank on the go’ provides you with the opportunity to conduct routine transactions for free or at a lower cost than the traditional channels, and what the majority of you our customers love is that it gets you in and out of the branch very quickly,” stated Patrick Hylton group managing director at NCB in his speech about one of the new features of the bank.

NCB built the centre based in part on negative customer feedback on the separate branches in the Constant Spring area.

“We took the time to listen to your ideas, your suggestions and your needs in designing this new branch location. Visiting two different locations to manage your banking needs was inconvenient and we recognised this,” stated Audrey Tugwell Henry senior general manager of retail banking at NCB in her address. “In addition to your desire for one location, you expressed your need for other conveniences including shorter lines, a more expansive and relaxed atmosphere, lower fees and easier access to financial advisors to discuss your needs.”

She indicated that the branch aims to minimise wait time including offering drive-through tellers and ‘bank on the go’ features including a series of ABMs and kiosks.

The branch heads include business district manager Loren Edwards, branch manager Lloyd Richardson and service quality manager Charmaine Oudith.

The new financial centre took about a year-and-a-half to construct. The centre is located at 124-126 Constant Spring Road, a short distance from Scotiabank Financial Centre opened in 2009.