FORKS — The Forks Bank of America branch will close in January as part of a wave of corporate service center closures across the U.S.
Customers of the branch at 481 S. Forks Ave. will begin to receive written notices of the Jan. 20 closure today, said Britney Sheehan, spokeswoman for Bank of America.
Employees will be given the option to transfer to other branches or be offered other options, including retraining for other local jobs and severance packages, Sheehan said.
“We’re trying to find positions for them,” she said.
Meeting room
Forks Mayor Bryon Monohon said the building is not owned by Bank of America and that the manager of the property told him the meeting room commonly used by community groups will continue to be available.
The Bank of America’s community meeting room has been a focal point of festivals and celebrations in Forks, housing the annual Quillayute Valley Scholarship Auction and Forks Festival of Trees, as well as plant sales and exhibits for such celebrations as the Fourth of July and Stephenie Meyer Day.
Monohon said he expects that the building will be quickly reoccupied.
“It’s a great space and very well located,” he said.
Customers will be given several options, including an enhanced online banking website and a variety of options available only in the Pacific Northwest.
The nearest Bank of America branch to Forks customers will be the Port Angeles branch at 134 W. Eighth St., which is not on the list of service centers to close, Sheehan said.
Options available
Branch customer service representatives will be available to discuss options with concerned customers until the January closure.
“Customers will have several months to make the necessary arrangements,” she said.
The closure will leave Forks with two banks, Sterling Savings Bank at 1020 S. Forks Ave. and First Federal at 131 Calawah Way.
“This will be a windfall for First Federal and Sterling,” Monohon said.
The decision to close the Forks branch was based on customer demand, Sheehan said.
“We’ve been very deliberate,” she said.
On Monday, Bank of America announced it would close up to 600 branches and eliminate 30,000 jobs over the next three years.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
