From the very start, our MLK Drive branch was intended to be not just a bank, but part of a community.

Even before the location opened in late 1996, important groundwork was being laid. Branch manager Darleen Binder and checking services manager Erica Johnson — who would be customer service supervisor at MLK Drive — joined the Historic King Drive Business Improvement District and spent months getting to know local leaders, residents, and neighborhood businesses.

“John Patzke was the leading force behind the MLK branch,” recalls VP customer support Jude Lengell. As chairman of Badger Bank, Patzke — who died in 2019 — had led the charge to open a branch in the neighborhood. When North Shore Bank acquired Badger in 1996 and Patzke became a senior vice president here, work on MLK Drive was already in motion.

“He was passionate about that area of the city and also wanted a branch location closer to the downtown market,” says Jude. “John worked with architects and the city to ensure the building took on the look the city wanted as they were rebuilding and reenergizing King Drive.”

Groundbreaking for the new location took place on March 6, 1996. Kids ages 5 and 6 from Carter’s Day Care and Development Center, inside the YWCA across the street, were given hard hats and small shovels for the ceremony, also attended by local dignitaries including Mayor John Norquist. Gospel singer Evaughn High performed.

When construction was finished and the branch opened in October, the celebration was even bigger. Patzke, the mayor, Darleen, and others spoke. The Messmer High School choir performed.

“It was overcast and cold, but that did not stop Mayor Norquist and several other city dignitaries from joining us for this wonderful event and supporting North Shore Bank,” Jude says. “There were singers and performers from local schools, artists, food from local restaurants — they all came to help welcome NSB to their community.”

One fun part of the grand opening was the sealing of a time capsule — to be opened in 100 years — in the cornerstone of the new location. The bank held a contest asking neighborhood residents for suggestions about what should be placed in the capsule. The residents who gave the five best suggestions each received a $100 savings bond and got to put their items in the capsule.

“A big ‘welcome to the neighborhood’ event it was,” agrees Erica. She had been in corporate lending at Badger before applying for the supervisor position at the new branch, and worked at Milwaukee Capitol while MLK Drive was under construction.

“At MLK, we became like family to our customers, who were diverse in age, social economic status, language. We taught and learned from each other,” she says. Erica eventually took over managing the branch, as well as our Silver Spring location, staying there until 2009.

“Darleen, Erica, and the bank worked tirelessly to support local events through participation and stay involved in the needs of the community,” Jude says. Among other things, North Shore supported the YWCA’s business incubator initiatives for women.

In October 2016, we celebrated MLK Drive’s 20th anniversary. That event also featured the Messmer High School choir and a speech from the mayor — Tom Barrett this time.

The time capsule made an appearance as well. Construction workers removed it from the cornerstone so that everyone could take a look at the contents. Then it was put back, along with a new time capsule, which contained among other things a colorful mural painted by 3- and 4-year-olds from nearby Pristine Child Care.

Erica was there too.

“The 20th anniversary was like a family reunion for me,” she says. “I attended the event to help out and ended up catching up and hugging my old customers. It reminded me that giving great service and sincerely caring for customers does make you family.”