First National Bank branch in Lower Burrell to close

The First National Bank branch in Lower Burrell is scheduled to close March 5.

It is among 21 First National branch offices that will be shuttered in the Eastern United States, said FNB spokeswoman Jennifer M. Reel.

Some customers were not happy to hear about the closure of the branch at Leechburg and Wildlife Lodge roads, particularly Lower Burrell Mayor John Andrejcik, who said the city has been doing business with the bank for years.

“We certainly hope they, first, reconsider their decision to leave such a prime location,” Andrejcik said. “We might suggest they consider an alternate location in Lower Burrell if interested. We are certainly willing to assist them if that is a viable solution.”

FNB plans to consolidate the Lower Burrell branch with its New Kensington branch on Tarentum Bridge Road, about two miles away, Reel said.

The closure of the Lower Burrell site and other branches was based on “convenience, consumer banking preferences, operating costs, proximity to other locations and more,” Reel said in an email Tuesday.

The branch has been a community bank in Lower Burrell operating under different names dating back to the 1980s, said City Administrator Amy Rockwell. The bank has served as the city’s repository for about 23 years, she said.

This is the second bank closure to hit the city this year.

Across the street from First National, a PNC bank in Hillcrest Shopping Center closed recently.

Earlier this year, a PNC spokeswoman attributed the closure to consumers changing the way they use traditional brick-and-mortar banks with more customers opting for automated teller machines and online and mobile banking services.

The mayor noted that there are still two banks remaining in Lower Burrell: Clearview Federal Credit Union and Citizens Bank, both along Leechburg Road.

The ATM at the Lower Burrell branch will remain in place for a period of time, she said.

FNB, Pennsylvania’s second-largest bank by assets, is based in Pittsburgh. It has more than 80 branches in the Pittsburgh region, including Westmoreland County, Reel said.