PNC Bank to close its doors downtown
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STEUBENVILLE -- Mayor Jerry Barilla said he was disappointed to hear that PNC Bank will be closing its branch office and drive-up facility at 124 N. Fourth St. on Aug. 17.
Barilla said it will be another hardship for downtown's low-income residents to do their banking with only one bank being left after the PNC branch closes.
JPMorgan Chase closed its two downtown branches in February 2017. Huntington Bank has a branch at 100 N. Fourth St.
PNC sent out letters informing customers of the decision. The branch will merge with the branch at 2814 Sunset Blvd.
Sandra Zimmerman, PNC market manager and executive vice president, said in the letter, "At PNC Bank, we continuously evaluate our ability to assist you in achieving your financial goals. Based on customer feedback over the years, we have responded to requests for convenient electronic banking alternatives with the addition of online, mobile and tablet banking and advanced-function ATMs. As a result, customers have more service choices than ever before and are using branches very differently today.
"With this in mind, we have carefully studied the effectiveness of our branches based on their physical capacity as well as the number of customers who frequent each location," Zimmerman said.
The downtown branch will close at 3 p.m. on Aug. 17, and operations will be merged with the Sunset Boulevard branch effective Aug. 20.
Customers with safe deposit boxes at the downtown branch are asked to have the boxes emptied by the end of the business day on Aug. 10.
Barilla said he believed PNC Bank was a part of the community and would continue to be that, noting banks have an obligation to continue to serve downtown areas, where economically disadvantaged people reside. Low-income residents might not have access to transportation to travel to other branches in the city, he added.
"Even with a car, it is a chore to drive out to the West End to do your banking," the mayor said. "I feel sorry for those living downtown with only having one bank left.
"It is disappointing, but I am not going to let this take away the positive attitude we have of the downtown area in trying to make it a cool place," he said.
Barilla said that is a challenge with the lack of banks, restaurants and grocery stores.
"We are trying to revitalize downtown, and people seem to be running away," he said.
Miners and Mechanics Savings and Trust Co. was founded in 1913 and had its main bank at the North Fourth Street location. It was purchased by National City Bank in May 1994. National City Bank was purchased by PNC Bank in November 2009.