Citizens Bank to close downtown branch in New Kensington

And then there was one.

The Citizens Bank branch at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Ninth Street in New Kensington is closing in mid-November, leaving First National Bank along Eighth Street as the only bank branch remaining downtown.

“We continue to evaluate, evolve and adjust our branch strategy across our network, and can confirm that we have decided to close our New Kensington branch,” said Citizens Financial Group spokesman Bennett Griesmer.

Four workers will lose their jobs when the bank closes Nov. 17, he said. The bank will work with them to apply for openings at other bank branches, Griesmer said.

Customers can conduct banking on mobile platforms, online, at ATMs and other branches, including one inside the Giant Eagle along Tarentum Bridge Road. That’s about 2 miles away from the downtown branch that is closing.

There also is a Citizens Bank about 4 miles away from downtown New Kensington in Lower Burrell along Leechburg Road, Griesmer said.

The New Kensington Citizens Bank was preceded in that location by Mellon Bank and the Logan Trust Co., which built the bank building in the 1920s, according to City Clerk Dennis Scarpiniti.

The five-story building in the center of town was a hub for professional services, including attorneys and doctors, for many years, he said.

In addition to the bank branch, the city’s redevelopment authority is located in the building now.

Given the building’s prominent downtown location, Mayor Tom Guzzo said he expects someone to fill the space quickly.

“You hate to lose a business, and it is unfortunate,” Guzzo said. “But I am confident with the revitalization of the city and the surge of new businesses that the building owner will have prospects, if not already.”

Banks have been abandoning brick-and-mortar sites throughout the country as more customers turn to online and mobile banking, Scarpiniti and Guzzo said. The pandemic didn’t help matters with many banks offering limited public access in their lobbies, they added.