MILLERTON — The eighth branch of Salisbury Bank and Trust Company is set to open its doors to the public this coming Tuesday, Jan. 19, becoming the newest business for the village and the bank’s second New York branch.
The bank purchased the property, located on the corner of Main Street and Maple Avenue, in February, with a ground-breaking ceremony in May. Since then, work has been chugging along, with the bank on time to meet its January opening date.
The first thing Salisbury Bank President Rick Cantele said about the bank is that it is the company’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a green building rating system) certified branch.
“We’ve taken the steps to go green in other locations,� he explained, “but this is the first time we were able to do it right from scratch.�
The building itself is community-oriented, starting with its two-story, Victorian-design structure. The second floor, which has a later building date than the bank, will be leased out to a local law firm (the name of the firm has not been released yet) and could eventually be used as space for future expansion.
“We wanted to build a building that fit in architecturally,� Cantele said. “Hopefully we’ve accomplished that.�
Customers walking into the bank will see an updated version of what they’ve seen in the bank’s other branches. Two pod-shaped teller stations, which are also used at the bank’s Salisbury branch, give bank customers more privacy than a traditional teller line. Flat-screen televisions and a fish tank decorate the main room.
The bank building is also sectioned off in a way that the back rooms, which include a large conference room, can be sealed off and used by not-for-profit and community groups outside of bank hours. It’s another step in the direction of integrating itself into the community, Cantele said.
“We’ve always had a close relationship with the business community and consumers in Millerton, and a strong support for the Millerton community,� he added. “And the response [to the new building] from customers and residents has been very welcoming. The village has been great to work with.�
The branch will be staffed by manager Lana Morrison, a Millerton native, an assistant manager, four tellers, a commercial loan officer “and all the resources of the Salisbury Bank and Trust Company,� added Diane Farrell, the bank’s senior vice president and head of marketing.
Branch hours are similar to other Salisbury Bank and Trust buildings, with lobby hours Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Drive through hours, complete with two lanes and a 24/7 ATM, are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
Farrell explained that the bank’s services will benefit local businesses, with options like business e-deposit, which allows a business to deposit checks into its account without traveling to the bank, as well as personalized service like the branch manager traveling to businesses to handle any transactions.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held 10 a.m. Tuesday, an hour after village residents will officially have a new banking option.
“We’re really excited and optimistic,� Cantele said. “Millerton is an exciting place to be. The village has done a great job in terms of creating a nice place for walking, shopping and living, and we want to be a part of that.�
