Spokane Teachers Credit Union has started construction of its 16th branch, which is scheduled to open late this year on Spokane's South Hill.

The 4,000-square-foot structure, which STCU plans to call its Moran Prairie branch, is being erected at 5711 S. Hailee Lane, on the southeast corner of Hailee and 57th Avenue.

Walker Construction Inc., of Spokane, is the contractor for the $916,000 project, and Nystrom Olson Architecture, also of Spokane, designed it.

"We recognized the rapid growth in the area in 2008, when we purchased the land," says Patsy Gayda, STCU vice president of branches, in a press release. She adds that the branch will serve the Moran Prairie community and offer a stop for STCU members who commute to Spokane from the Palouse region.

Dan Hansen, a spokesman for the credit union, says a stretch of 57th Avenue on the South Hill handles more than 10,500 vehicle trips a day, and the nearby Palouse Highway has more than 4,500 vehicle trips a day.

The Moran Prairie branch will have room for about 10 employees, Hansen says.

The structure will be similar in appearance to STCU's Spokane Valley branch that was built last year at 13211 E. 32nd. Like that branch building, the new structure is designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification standards.

The Moran Prairie branch will include elements of Craftsman-style design, such as exposed beams, wood-textured shingle siding, and some masonry features, Hansen says. It also will have solar panels to reduce its demand for energy from conventional sources, energy efficient lights and heating system, and lockers and a shower for employees who walk or bike to work.

Prior to the Spokane Valley branch that opened in December, STCU last opened new branches in 2009 in the Northtown Square shopping center on Spokane's North Side and in Ponderay, Idaho, just north of Sandpoint. STCU doesn't plan to start construction on any other branches this year, Hansen says.

STCU has 106,000 members in Eastern Washington and North Idaho, as well as more than $1.6 billion in total assets.