MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The old Wonder Bread factory near downtown doesn’t bake bread anymore, but it might still be making dough as the headquarters for a local financial company.
Orion Federal Credit Union said Tuesday the company is moving about 150 employees to its new headquarters in the former Wonder Bread bakery building at 400 Monroe Avenue in the Edge District. The company currently is located on Highway 64 in the Wolfchase area.
The Wonder Bread bakery was built in 1921 and has been vacant since 2013. While some parts of the building are original, much of the structure has been extensively renovated with a new facade made from reclaimed bricks from the old building.
Orion announced it would be the cornerstone corporate tenant of the Wonder Bread site in 2017. The company said the decision to move downtown was intentional, to address long-term blight and drive economic development in the city.
“A strong city core can create a ripple effect for development and energy throughout the region. We’re proud to be a part of that with this move,” Orion CEO Daniel Weickenand said.
The site is surrounded by a new $950 million proposed development called Union Row, as well as several other developments in new and existing buildings near the edge of downtown Memphis.