Climate First Bank, an environmentally focused lending institution that opened this summer in St. Petersburg, is moving its headquarters.
It is, however, staying within the city limits.
The bank has purchased an old BB&B bank at 182 37th Ave. N, near the Northeast Park shopping center, and will move there next year from its current headquarters at 5301 Central Ave. The bank paid around $3 million for the 5,781-square-foot building, and will move into it in April after making renovations to make it more environmentally friendly.
Climate First Bank raised nearly $40 million before opening this summer, promising it would invest in sustainable products and companies and bank only with businesses that did the same. A spokesperson said its initial location in a historic home was always meant to be temporary, as it was not ideally suited for a bank.
The bank will lease part of the building to Phil Kean Design Group, an architecture firm based in Winter Park. Like Climate First, that company has touted its commitment to green building through energy efficiency, recyclable materials and sustainable sourcing. This will be the firm’s first office outside Winter Park. It plans to move in early January, said the bank spokesperson.
For its part, Climate First Bank is also expanding, having announced plans to open an Orlando branch in January. The company has said that building will be “covered in solar panels” and feature net-zero energy consumption.