On the heels of donating three of its former administrative buildings, worth more than $750,000, to Boyertown for use as borough offices and a new police station, BB&T Bank has now donated a fourth building for a new library.
The 15,000-square-foot building at 24 N. Reading Ave. and its accompanying parking lot will be used to replace the smaller borough library.
Scott Fainor, BB&T community banking group executive, said the building is valued at $500,000, making the bank’s total real estate and monetary contributions in the borough close to $1.5 million.
Fainor, who previously served as president and CEO of National Penn Bank, which was formerly headquartered in Boyertown, said with the consolidation of services under BB&T that had been conducted in borough buildings, the space no longer was needed.
Fainor said the bank had considered selling the property, but like National Penn before it, wanted to show a commitment to the community. BB&T acquired National Penn last year.
“As we had over a number of years, if we had an opportunity to help a community, we did,” he said.
Fainor said he approached borough officials to find if they would have need for such space.
Library officials then contacted him, saying that they could also use additional space to create a larger library.
“This property will provide much-needed space for an expanded library,” said Russell Phillips, president of the Boyertown Community Library Board of Trustees, in a statement.
“This building is not only larger, it has better access,” Fainor said.
The building wasn’t the only donation announced by BB&T.
Fainor also announced the BB&T Economic Growth Fund of Berks County Community Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to Colebrookedale Railroad Preservation Trust of Boyertown. The grant will support general operations of the Colebrookedale Railroad, which runs a nine-mile passenger railway line between Boyertown and Pottstown.
The Berks County Community Foundation and Lehigh Valley Community Foundation each received $2.5 million in conjunction with the BB&T/National Penn merger.
This is the second award announced from the fund.
Last month, it made a $120,000 grant to support Building a Better Boyertown.
