Capitol Hill’s Bullitt Center — the greenest office building in the world — now has a bank. In a bid to focus a real world financial center on digital banking and hopefully cut down on waste in the process, Beneficial State Bank says its new location is cashless, except for the ATMs.
“When our Washington branch first opened in a trailer in Ilwaco, we couldn’t have imagined that one day we’d bank from the world’s most sustainable building,” CEO Randell Leach said in the announcement of the new financial center. “It’s the result of a decade of proactive investments in environmental sustainability and climate justice coming to fruition.”
Beneficial says the bank “will help its customers do their banking electronically without relying on paper transactions.”
“Customers will be able to set up accounts, talk to bankers, and manage their money digitally” and will “focus on teaching Seattle residents how to use less paper and less cash, and move toward the financial future of digital banking.”
The solar-powered, zero-waste Bullitt Center debuted above E Madison and 15th Ave in 2013 bringing to fruition the dream of the Bullitt Foundation and Earth Day founder Dennis Hayes to create a zero waste office building in the core of Seattle. Tenants have included a mix of academic and tech firms including the Bullitt Foundation, International Living Future Institute, University of Washington Center for Integrated Design, and speaker and music tech firm Sonos.
Earlier this year, CHS reported on environmental media company Grist moving into the building.
Beneficial joins a wave of new banks and credit unions joining the retail and commercial landscape across Capitol Hill — many with increasingly niche focuses.
A Community Development Financial Institution and B Corporation, Beneficial State says it provides “under-resourced communities fair and transparent banking services.” Billionaire Activist Tom Steyer is a co-founder. It is currently headquartered in Oakland, California and boast around 18 locations around California and the Pacific Northwest.
The branch will celebrate its opening on Capitol Hill with a Friday celebration including giveaways from Life on Mars and music from street performer Pasquale.
The new Beneficial State Bank is located in the Bullitt Center at 1501 E Madison. You can learn more at beneficialstatebank.com.
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