SHELBURNE FALLS — One of the first things John Howland noticed about the recently redone Greenfield Savings Bank building in Shelburne Falls was its slate “Movie Star” emblem declaring that the bank was filmed in the movies “Labor Day” and “The Judge” a couple of years ago.
But when Howland, the bank’s president, watched “The Judge” with his wife, she said, “I don’t think the outside of that building is where Robert Downey Jr. or Robert Duvall would bank.”
“So our goal is to make it more quaint — to make it into a bank that Robert Downey and Robert Duvall would use,” Howland declared Wednesday, drawing applause from bank employees and members of the Greater Falls Area Business Association.
And so, with a big tug, Howland pried off a piece of the exterior stucco-coated foam trim to mark the ceremonial start of a $250,000 “face-lift” of the Shelburne Falls branch bank. The building’s highly energy efficient faux brick and stone will be covered by real brick that is more similar to the surrounding 19th century mercantile architecture, such as the Arms Library and other buildings.
In addition to looking more in character with the historic buildings on Bridge Street, the new, real brick will be more durable and will, in the long term, save money on maintenance.
When Howland became Greenfield Savings Bank’s president in March 2015, one of the first complaints he got was criticism about the faux brick siding. “As I looked around, I saw that this building would look great in some places — but not here,” he said.
The new redesign was done by architect Joseph Mattei of Shelburne. The building will be red brick with a gray trim on the rooftop that has a fluted molding reminiscent of that on the building across Bridge Street.
The “facelift” starts this week and will take about six to seven weeks to complete. The construction staging will be done where there is greenery, so customers will be able to use the doorway unrestricted.
Whit Sanford of the business association thanked Howland for making another building investment in the village. “All the buildings in this town have substance,” she said. “Making this the ‘Taco Bell’ bank not only diminished the bank but also the community — because it’s on a corner that is very visible.”
Several people had complained that the 2014 renovation of the 30-year-old building made it look like a fast-food restaurant.
And just before removing a piece of the foam trim, Howland had joked, “We’ve talked about having the last tacos come out of here.”