In a tribute to the building it is transforming into a Murray Hill branch, Community First Credit Union announced June 24 it had partnered with Arble Baking Co. to bring a food feature to the property.
The announcement came as Community First repurposes the former Edgewood Bakery at 1012 Edgewood Ave. S. as its new branch.
During the announcement, Community First President and CEO Sam Inman said the partnership with family-owned Arble resulted from conversations with Murray Hill residents about how they wanted the property to be redeveloped.
“From the beginning, we heard how important it was to the community to bring back a warm, inviting food experience to this beloved neighborhood landmark. Selecting Arble Baking Co. reflects our commitment to honoring that vision while celebrating a family business with deep Jacksonville roots,” Inman said in a news release.
Arble Baking Co. began in Willis and Veronica Anderson’s home kitchen. Willis Anderson was a member of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. He was known as “The Cookie Man,” selling baked goods to fellow firefighters and paramedics as well as families near the fire station. He sometimes delivered the cookies in a JFRD ambulance, his son Alonza Anderson said during the ceremony.
Around the same time, Veronica Anderson shared the homemade cookies with coworkers at BellSouth in 1975. She was soon taking orders for her sweets.
The family opened Arble Baking Co. at 6765 Dunn Ave. in 2023.
The Arble Baking Co. will sell baked goods, sandwiches and desserts at its fully equipped kitchen inside the bank building. It plans to be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
That the new bakery is opening in the same space the Edgewood Bakery occupied until 2016 isn’t lost on Anderson.
“We look forward to serving this community with scratch-made, fresh, and quality goods delivered with first class customer service. We also look forward to working tirelessly to earn this opportunity and to live up to the legacy of the historical Edgewood Bakery,” he said during the ceremony held in the nearby Murray Hill Presbyterian Church parking lot.
The Edgewood Bakery was operated by Gary and Sandy Polletta after they bought the bakery in 1992. It opened in 1947. The Pollettas sold the business in 2014, and new owners closed the business in 2016.
The bakery is not the only feature of Community First’s Murray Hill branch. A community space will be open for neighborhood gatherings and meetings.
“I could think of a small group of moms that might need to hang out and talk about and share their children’s growth path. I can see a PTA (using the room) if they don’t want to meet in school,” Inman said.
The credit union floor plan is being built within the existing building structure on one floor. The parking lot will be redesigned to accommodate a drive-through amenity.
TTV Architects designed the branch; Auld & White Constructors is the building contractor; NAI Hallmark is the development partner; and Kimley-Horn is performing civil engineering for the project.
The city is reviewing a permit for Jacksonville-based Auld & White Constructors LLC to create a “food feature venue” at an estimated project cost of $200,000. Plans show seating in an outdoor plaza.
Community First bought the property in October 2024 for $1.65 million, property records show.