You can find on Spokesman.com the full version of the announcement by Spokane Teachers Credit Union it purchased the downtown Hutton Building.

Reporter Jon Brunt summarized the main points in that story (top six graphs below). Saturday's print and online editions will have the expanded version, which includes details on the bankruptcy that led to STCU's purchase.

Spokane Teachers Credit Union is turning a foreclosed property into one of its most prominent buildings.

The credit union announced this week it will move its commercial lending operations to the Hutton Building, which it owns as a result of a foreclosure last year.

The seven-story Hutton Building, 9 S. Washington St., is valued at $3.5 million by Spokane County. It was built in 1907.

Credit union President and CEO Tom Johnson said that the credit union was running out of space for its commercial lending department at its current leased space at the Schade Brewery building near the Riverpoint Campus.

Since it already owned the building and the credit union desired to keep commercial lending offices in downtown Spokane, the Hutton Building was an ideal choice to help it expand, Johnson said.

The credit union will use the top two floors of the Hutton Building as well as some space on the ground floor for a branch.

Liberty Lake-based STCU is ranked 16th-best place to work in Fortune magazine’s rankings of medium-sized U.S. companies.

STCU is the third-largest credit union in Washington and the largest credit union in the Inland Northwest. It has 110,000 members with branches in Eastern Washington and North Idaho.

The Best Places to Work ranking at cnnmoney.com praises STCU for a culture of celebration, fun and commitment to employees. The review noted STCU provides a tuition reimbursement for its staff of up to $8,225 per year for related studies.

“It allows parents to take time off for their kids' first day of kindergarten and first grade, as well as for parent-teacher conferences,” the magazine said.

The top-ranked medium-sized business in the ranking was Acuity, an insurance company based in Sheboygan, Wis. A total of 25 companies are listed.

Fortune's lists also include the annual 100 Best Companies to Work For. Northwest companies on that list include: Perkins Coie law firm, No. 58; Nordstrom, No. 61; Umpqua Bank in Portland, No. 69; Starbucks, No. 73,, Microsoft, No. 76; Everett Clinic, No. 87; and Schweitzer Engineering, No.  97.

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Spokane Teachers Credit Union is breaking ground for its 16th branch office at 5711 S. Hailee Lane on Moran Prairie in Spokane.

The branch will serve the area near Palouse Highway and 57th Avenue, one of the busiest intersections on Spokane’s South Hill.

This branch is designed by Spokane’s Nystrom+Olson Architecture. Walker Construction is the general contractor for the 4,096-square-foot building. Construction is estimated to cost $916,000.

Like the recently opened South Valley Branch, this office is designed for earn an LEED Gold certification for high energy efficiency.

Its features include solar panels, heat-reflecting roof materials, efficient lights and heating system, and interior furnishings that are certified low in volatile organic compounds.

It’s expected to open by the end of 2012

Spokane Teachers Credit Union just broke ground for its 15th area branch, near University High School.

The new branch, at 13211 E. 32nd, will be open later this year, according to a press release.

It will be the second STCU branch in Spokane Valley.

Baker Construction & Development is contractor for the 3,496-square-foot branch, which is designed to meet U.S. Green Building Council standards for LEED Gold certification for sustainable building and development practices.

Designed by Nystrom+Olson Architecture, the building will have craftsman-style elements.

The release noted Spokane Valley's population of 91,836 is anticipated to grow by roughly 16,000 in the next 20 years.

A Spokane credit union says local consumers are reporting a phone scam aimed at tricking them to reveal debit and credit card information.

The STCU phone center today is inundated with calls from credit union members and some non-members who reported receiving official-sounding automated phone calls that supposedly come from STCU.

As of 10:30 a.m., more than 100 callers contacted STCU about the phone calls, spokesman Dan Hansen said.

The calls inform the recipients that “Your debit card (or credit card) has been deactivated.” They are asked to provide their debit or credit card number, PIN and expiration date, Hansen said.

The calls appear to be blanketing the region at random, as many of the recipients are not STCU members, he added.

STCU never calls its members asking for credit or debit card information, Hansen said.

Consumers should be wary of any call or e-mail seeking credit or debit card information or other sensitive personal information, Hansen said. These contacts often are scams perpetuated by people looking to commit identity theft.