PORT TOWNSEND — Kitsap Bank’s newly remodeled branch opened Monday in a building that stresses green building practices and solar power.
Tony George, president and chief operating officer, was on hand to greet customers and check out the finished site.
“We’re really excited to be in a permanent location and have personal, lending and commercial operations under one roof. We love this location and decided to remodel using the same footprint.”
“It’s an old Kentucky Fried Chicken,” he added.
The Port Townsend branch is the newest building for the bank.
The branch features ITMs —interactive teller machines — that offer two-way audio and video with customer service representatives at any time.
The technology is available at the walk-up and drive-through settings. It is a new offering for the bank.
“Every time we do a new branch, we learn a little bit from our previous experience,” said George.
“Banks are getting a little smaller but are a little more efficient. Gone are the days when you needed a huge lobby to handle long lines. Many people use online banking, but our Port Townsend customers want to come by and talk with a manager, a lender or teller. So we’ve made the branch very user friendly.”
The building was designed by Rice Fergus Miller Architecture of Bremerton and built by Tim Ryan Construction of Poulsbo.
The facility incorporates green building practices and features LED lighting, solar roof panels, state-of-the-art heating and cooling systems, and high energy efficiency windows.
Solar power is used for a portion of the building’s energy requirements, and the exterior siding is a 100 percent post-consumer recycled product.
The landscaping also was redesigned to incorporate more native vegetation that’s drought tolerant.
Kitsap Bank has donated all the furniture and furnishings from the old branch to Habitat for Humanity.
The bank is located at 2313 East Sims Way in Port Townsend.
The branch is operating under a soft opening for a few weeks before a grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration in mid-March, according to Kitsap Bank Marketing Director Shannon Childs.
Kitsap Bank is headquartered in Port Orchard and operates 20 locations throughout Western Washington.
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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Jeannie McMacken can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jmcmacken@peninsuladailynews.com.