$200 million Citizens Bank corporate campus opens in Johnston
By Alana Cerrone
@Alana_Cerrone
JOHNSTON, R.I. (WLNE) – By the end of this week, the first several hundred Citizens Bank employees will settle into their new state of the art facility in Johnston.
Employees decked out in green celebrated their nearly 500,000 square foot workplace, including a cafeteria, wellness center, and…’CB2’, the robot that patrols campus, feeding video directly to corporate security.
More than 3,000 colleagues will work there, most coming from nearby offices. But they’re not the only ones who will benefit. Fields, basketball courts, and walking trails are open to residents.
When Citizens Bank announced plans to build here , it was met with protests from some neighbors. Mayor Joe Polisena argued the company was immersing itself into the community, splitting the cost with the state for new 295 on-and off-ramps, and extending water and sewer lines on Greenville Avenue.
The company says it also kept construction on the previously undeveloped land environmentally-friendly.
With this project completed, Mayor Polisena already has his eyes on the next one, namely on a parcel of developable land on Route 6.
As part of its deal with Johnston, Citizens will pay the town $5 million over 20 years. Johnston also received permit fees, which it used to buy two brand new fire trucks.
© WLNE-TV 2018
