Bank / Credit Union

PA's First Commonwealth Bank closing 29 locations

photo provided by iStock

August 7, 2020

The First Commonwealth Bank in Leechburg, Pennsylvania, will close its doors December 11, along with 28 other branches in the state, including Tarentum, Buffalo Township, Pine, McKeesport, Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville and Squirrel Hill. A South Side Works branch will close on March 19, according to a report in TribLive.

Bank officials said the closures were due to teller transactions having decreased by 15% to 20% annually over the past four to five years, while digital banking has tripled, due in large part to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Leechburg bank was established in 1900, and merged with First Commonwealth Bank in 1995. Many clients are senior citizens, according to the report.

"It's one of those institutions that you just take for granted," Leechburg Mayor Wayne Dobos told the news outlet. "But nothing lasts forever."

First Commonwealth has 148 community banking offices throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio and according to bank officials any branch that was going to close has another branch nearby for account holders to use, and customers can always bank by the mobile app or by phone.