PNC to close its Hillcrest Shopping Center branch in Lower Burrell
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PNC is closing its branch in the Hillcrest Shopping Center in Lower Burrell.
A bank spokeswoman confirmed that the Hillcrest location will close March 20.
“The way that customers are using branches has been changing,” said Marcey Zwiebel, PNC’s director of corporate public relations. “We have been making adjustments to our branch network to adjust for this change,” she said.
The bank said the move comes as more customers use automated teller machines and online and mobile banking services rather than traditional brick-and-mortar banks.
Not everyone likes the change.
“It’s terrible,” said Steve Sorch, 56, of New Kensington.
Irvin Hecker, 75, of Lower Burrell, added, “It sucks.”
Sorch has been conducting his personal banking at the Hillcrest Shopping Center branch for about 25 years, Hecker for about 45.
Sorch and Hecker both said they will now have to go to the nearby PNC in New Kensington, 2425 Leechburg Road, which is a little more than 2 miles away from the Lower Burrell branch.
While Hecker hasn’t been there, Sorch has and said he doesn’t like the New Kensington location because of what he says is a longer wait time and fewer parking spaces.
Pointing to the vacant storefronts in the Hillcrest strip mall, Hecker said, “It’s unbelievable how things have changed.”
It’s unknown how many employees will lose their jobs, according to Zwiebel. PNC doesn’t have the number of employees currently at the Lower Burrell branch, she said. The bank will try to place those employees at other locations, she said.
Hillcrest is still hanging on in the age of the demise of strip shopping malls with Community Market, the Elena Restaurant, NTB Tire, Roses Discount Store, Burrell Community Church and other stores.
The only other PNC branch closing announced this week was in New Castle.
According to its website, PNC has about 2,400 locations and 15,000 ATMs across 37 states and the District of Columbia.