Arvest breaks ground in Nixa

Arvest Bank broke ground Thursday on its first brick-and-mortar location in Christian County.

The 4,000-square-foot branch under development at 505 Northview Road in Nixa will work in tandem with the Lowell, Ark.-based company’s branch inside Nixa’s sole Wal-Mart store, officials say.

“We chose Nixa because we’ve built a strong base of customers there from residents who already bank with us in Springfield,” said Arvest Bank Springfield President Brad Crain.

With work by general contractor DeWitt & Associates Inc., Rogers, Ark.-based architect Hight-Jackson Associates and engineer Shaffer & Hines Inc., the new branch is designed with seven offices and a conference room. Declining to disclose building costs, Crain said the branch is based on the same prototype as Arvest’s East Sunshine Street location. It’s being constructed on the site of a former Allied Paint store, which was demolished earlier this year.

The project also includes moving Kenneth Street from frontage road along U.S. Highway 160 to wrap around the bank’s west side. Cars now will access Kenneth Street between the bank and Tractor Supply Co.

“This was something we worked with the city on when we negotiated the contact,” Crain said, noting cars will have better access to the bank and businesses such as Harter House. “It was their desire and part of their long-range plan to move that road.”

Combining staff with the current Nixa location, the full-service branch will offer mortgages, consumer lending, wealth management and business banking. Crain said Arvest already has hired two and plans to add six more to round out the 15-employee crew.