NexTier planning new Evans City location
EVANS CITY — There are two branches of NexTier Bank in Evans City. Customers have a choice between a drive-though-only location on Center Alley and a historic, three-story, full-service branch on East Main Street.
By the end of the year, however, those two branches will become one, and the Main Street branch will close.
At the monthly meeting of borough council on Monday, Aug. 7, Pittsburgh-based contractor Civil & Environmental Consultants unveiled plans to tear down the drive-through location on Center Alley and rebuild it into a full-service branch.
CEC is the civil engineer for the project, while PWCampbell is the general contractor.
“The current building and structure of the canopy will be raised to accommodate this 1,300-square-foot footprint,” said John Frederick of CEC.
According to Frederick, the footprint of the new bank branch will leave room for six parking spots, including one ADA-designated spot. The new location will have drive-through and walk-in service.
The move comes after NexTier put its building on Main Street up for sale earlier this year. The status of the sale of the building is unclear. The borough bid on the historic building and fell short.
“I don't know if it is truly finalized,” said borough council president Cheri Deener. “I just know we weren’t picked to continue on negotiating.”
Butler County’s property records still show “Citizens National Bank” — NexTier’s former name — as the legal owner of the property since New Year’s Day of 2000.
At approximately 1,300 square feet, the new NexTier location at Center Alley will be smaller than the current branch on Main Street. This makes sense, since, according to Deener, NexTier Bank does not use all of the space in the three-story Main Street branch.
“That bank building is humongous,” Deener said. “It has three bathrooms, three little kitchenettes, boardrooms, offices … you name it, it’s there.”
During construction of the new location, NexTier customers will have access to the old Main Street branch. However, that branch does not have drive-through services.
According to Frederick, CEC and PWCampbell are aiming to break ground on the new branch “around the first weeks of September.” Frederick also promised that contractors working on the project would be careful not to disturb the butterfly garden also under construction nearby.
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