About 20 people gathered on a cold Wednesday afternoon to turn a shovelful of damp earth signifying the beginning of construction for a new credit union building.

The Metropolitan Church Federal Credit Union hopes to be in its new building at 133 Tynes St., in the historic Fairgrounds area, by September, manager Ronald Hart said.

“Today is a great day for us,” he said. “What we’re about to do illustrates the financial strength of our credit union.”

Hart said the credit union’s current small building at 129 County St. is too crowded on busy days. The new building — within sight of the old building a block away — will be 2,900 square feet and feature a drive-through and on-site ATM.

“The only thing that’s going to hold us back is how bad the weather is going to be,” Hart said of the construction timetable.

The credit union was formed in 1949, when members of Tynes Street Baptist Church received the federal credit union charter. The credit union was started with $226.27 collected from church members.

The charter was later amended in 1962 to reflect the name change of the church to Metropolitan Baptist Church.

Until 1984, the credit union operated in the church. In that year, it enlarged the vacant home behind and owned by the church.

While the credit union’s name still reflects its founding institution, the members of four other churches and their relatives also are eligible to become members: New First Baptist Church Hosier Road, St. Mark Episcopal Church, New Mount Joy Food for Living Ministries and Antioch United Church of Christ.

Hart said that several other churches are in the process of being added or interested in being added, which also spurred the need for growth.

The credit union now boasts $7.8 million in assets — a far cry from the $226 it started with.

“We definitely needed more space,” Hart said.

He credited his father, Rufus T. Hart Sr., one of the first managers of the credit union, for leading it well in its younger days.