SYRACUSE — Community Bank, N.A. on Oct. 16 formally opened the first of four planned Syracuse–area branches, marking the bank’s focus on serving more urban communities. “It’s also a new model for the bank,” says Lekia Hill, Community Bank’s branch and community development manager for the Hanover Square branch, located at 109 South Warren St. […]
SYRACUSE — Community Bank, N.A. on Oct. 16 formally opened the first of four planned Syracuse–area branches, marking the bank’s focus on serving more urban communities.
“It’s also a new model for the bank,” says Lekia Hill, Community Bank’s branch and community development manager for the Hanover Square branch, located at 109 South Warren St. in downtown Syracuse.
Staffed with four employees, including Hill and Branch Supervisor Quanira Irby, the branch features relationship-banking representatives, a new role at Community Bank that can do traditional teller transactions as well as other tasks such as opening new accounts.
“We call it our community connection hub,” Hill says of the branch. It’s all about delivering the complete experience for clients. With the Hanover Square office, Community Bank now has four branches in Onondaga County — the other locations are in DeWitt, Cicero, and Skaneateles — with plans to open three more branches in the greater Syracuse area next year.
Community Bank’s strategic plan to expand its branch presence in select markets is designed to both better serve clients and aid in local economic development.
“Downtown Syracuse is a thriving community experiencing dynamic growth, and we’re proud to serve as a partner in its revitalization,” Dimitar Karaivanov, president and CEO of Community Bank and its parent company Community Financial System, Inc. (NYSE: CBU), said in a statement. “This branch not only represents our commitment to the prosperity of the Syracuse community, but also underscores our pledge to make personalized banking products, services, and financial solutions more accessible to underserved communities, supporting the financial goals and well-being of the area’s many residents and businesses.”
Hill plans to be actively out and about in the community, working to connect with potential customers, area businesses, nonprofit organizations, and more.
“We’ll be doing financial-literacy workshops here,” she adds. “Our whole goal is to be well rounded in service to the community.”
As a subsidiary of Community Financial System, the branch also serves as a hub for the company’s benefits-administration company Benefit Plans Administrative Services Inc., insurance agency OneGroup NY Inc., and wealth-management division. That means the company can provide all those services to customers from one convenient location, Hill notes.
The new branch is 1,882 square feet, designed to mesh with the historic State Tower Building in which it is located. The office features a collaborative and consultative environment, modern teller line, and technology-equipped conference room.
Branch hours are Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The branch also features 24-hour ATM access.
In conjunction with the grand opening, Community Bank announced it will donate $25 for every new account or loan opened through the end of the year, with a minimum donation of $2,500, to In My Father’s Kitchen, a local nonprofit that aids unhoused individuals.
Community Bank also donated $10,000 to the Downtown Syracuse Foundation to support holiday events and neighborhood activities that highlight Hanover Square through 2025.
