Generations Bank formally opens renovated Seneca Falls offic

SENECA FALLS, N.Y. — Generations Bank on Monday formally opened its renovated retail office at 19 Cayuga St. in Seneca Falls.

The office, which construction crews originally built in 1977, has been redesigned to incorporate “many modern and sustainable elements,” including floor-to-ceiling windows; carpet containing recycled content; and light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, Generations Bank said in a news release issued Sept. 29.

The office will contain “interactive” teller machines; “state-of-the-art” technology; and “improved” handicapped parking for customers.

“Our Cayuga Street office has been a part of this community for nearly 40 years, and, as our service offerings continue to advance, it only makes sense to reflect these changes in our flagship retail location,” Menzo Case, president and CEO of Generations Bank, said. “While our banking technology has evolved, we still feel strongly about the personal connection between our customers and employees. Customers have been greeted by the same friendly faces at the office during the renovation, and this shall remain.”

Crews completed the construction in two phases, which began in April and August, respectively, according to the release.

All services provided at the Cayuga Street location remained “fully accessible” throughout the renovation, the bank said.

Generations Bank also has an insurance business, called Generations Agency (formerly Royce & Rosenkrans), and financial planning and brokerage services offered by Generations Investment Services. Both are also located at the 19 Cayuga St. location, the bank said.

Generations Bank contends the “facelift” at the Cayuga Street office has a “similar look and feel” to its headquarters building located at 20 East Bayard St. in Seneca Falls.

The branch at 19 Cayuga St., which Generations Bank calls its “flagship” office, is separate from the bank’s headquarters building, which opened in 2013.

Rochester–based MA Architects served as the project architect, while Blynn Nelson Interior Design, also of Rochester, handled that aspect of the project.  

Geneva–based Mittiga Construction led construction and building services, with assistance from Caratozzolo Joe Plumbing & Heating and Caratozzolo Electric, both of Seneca Falls.

Online accounts
Besides the renovated Seneca Falls office opening, Generations Bank on Monday also launched its “online account opening” service, which the bank contends makes “banking as safe and easy as possible for its customers.”

The feature allows new and existing customers to open checking, savings, or certificate of deposit accounts outside of the bank’s retail locations.

“Of course we love seeing our customers at any of our nine retail locations, but we are customers too, and know that it is not always possible to get to the bank,” Shelley Tafel, senior VP and CFO, said in the bank’s news release. “With online account opening, we put the capability of opening an account into the hands of our customers. It is leading- edge technology that our customers have been asking for and we are excited to deliver. The system is the most secure and has an easy to use platform, and an added benefit is it reduces paper consumption.”

Founded in 1870, Generations Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seneca-Cayuga Bancorp, Inc.

It has nine branches, including Seneca Falls, Auburn (2), Union Springs, Waterloo (2), Geneva, Phelps, and Farmington, according to its website.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com