Aug. 30—CANTON — If all goes as planned, the town of Canton will have new administrative offices that are outside the flood plain but still downtown.

That will happen when Champion Credit Union vacates two of his downtown Canton buildings to move into a new headquarters facility to be built on 14 acres of land being acquired next to Food Lion.

A joint news release from the town and credit union on Friday announced the credit union's pending sale of buildings at 401 Main St., property that will house the Canton Police Department and at 138 Academy St., a relatively recently remodeled structure that will become Canton's new town hall.

Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers said talks between the board and the credit union leadership have been ongoing for some time following massive flooding that decimated most town facilities. There is still a number of details to iron out, he said, but both parties felt it was time to announce the arrangement.

"This is an absolute cost savings for taxpayers, keeps services downtown and is a win-win for everyone," Smathers said.

Jake Robinson, president and CEO of Champion Credit Union, said while Champion Credit Union enjoys operating in the heart of downtown Canton, there is a pressing need for a larger work space where administrative employees can consolidate in a single area.

"We are running out of office space and our back office people are spread out," he said. "I would love to have our team together, and we need room to grow."

Champion Credit Union operates in Haywood, Buncombe and Henderson counties, and has two branches in each county. In addition to a Waynesville branch, the credit union has a Canton branch that will remain at its present location.

Robinson and Smathers said while there are plenty of details for both the town and credit union to iron out, the plan is far enough along to make an official announcement.

"Things will start happening on the property soon," Robinson said of work on the new facility, "and we wanted to communicate what was happening because we're really excited about it."

The new building will be in an area Robinson called the "introduction point" to the community along the stretch commonly known as Radio Hill.

The acreage has some steep areas, and Robinson said the hope is to build at a higher point where the offices will overlook the town and the mill. Eventually, other portions of the property nearer the highway could be sold for other commercial development, he added.

The idea to move and sell two of its downtown buildings to the town is one that evolved over time.

Robinson said after the flood, he offered to help the town out in any way he could. That led to some of the town's administrative offices being temporarily located in the credit union building, where ideas continued to be exchanged.

"I'm not sure whose idea this was," Robinson said. "The plans seemed to work themselves out naturally. The town needs the centralized office space in the downtown area and Champion wants to reaffirm its roots in the community and reinvest with a space large enough to bring their teams together with a collaborative workspace."

For the town, there's plenty of reason to be ecstatic about the arrangement.

Most importantly, Smathers said, is that the decision will relocate both the police department and the town administrative offices to properties outside the flood plain.

"The board is very proud we've been able to do this," Smathers said. "It means when the next flood hits, we won't have to worry so much about responding to our own needs and can be there to help others."

Secondly, the two buildings that are within line-of-sight of each other, provide an opportunity to offer town services in the heart of the downtown area and are ideally suited for that purpose.

The office building that will become town hall has three levels, along with a drive-through window where residents can easily pay bills or get other information. The police department building already has a large, historic vault that will be an ideal evidence room.

Lastly, Champion Credit Union's decision represents a huge commitment to and investment in Canton, Smathers said.

"It will consolidate operations in Canton and is a multi-million dollar investment that will create revenue and jobs in the town and will likely spur other economic development," Smathers said.

Champion Credit Union has deep roots in Canton.

In 1932, amid the Great Depression and a failing economy, the employees of Champion Paper Fiber Company joined together to form Champion Savings and Loan, known today as Champion Credit Union.

Ninety years later, Champion Credit Union is a leading financial institution in Western North Carolina that's still rooted in Canton.

The financial institution also has a history of supporting the town, including stepping up to make a hefty financial contribution to the town's swimming pool after an expected federal loan fell through.

Move is a ways off

Until the new Champion Credit Union facility is ready for occupancy, its offices will remain where they are at, and the temporary town hall and police headquarters will stay open at 85 Summer St., where mobile units were set up near the town garage.

Once Champion has vacated the two buildings the town is purchasing, there will be some remodeling to do, but it will be minimal, Smathers said.

The costs for the property purchases, as well as any remodeling estimates, have only been discussed in closed sessions so far and have not been voted on in a public meeting, Smathers said.

He did say, however, the cost would be far less than the estimated $10 million to $15 million price tag for building a consolidated town structure somewhere in town on property the town would need to purchase.

There is an $8.3 million line item in the recently adopted North Carolina state budget to assist Canton in flood recovery. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is in the process of considering the town's applications for all its facilities damaged when the Pigeon River left its banks on Aug. 17, 2021.

In addition to flooding town hall, the police department and the fire department, the weather event that was part of Tropical Storm Fred damaged the town's recreational facilities at the Canton Recreation Park, the Canton Historical Museum and required massive cleanup and repair work for the Champion Credit Union Aquatic Center. The Colonial Theater and the Canton armory were also flooded and future opening dates are uncertain.