Berkshire Bank to close one Mohawk Valley branch, in Marcy, in late March

MARCY — Berkshire Bank plans to close its branch office at 9085 Old River Road in Marcy in late March.

The bank recently notified the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS), and the department ruled favorably on the bank’s plan.

“As provided in Section 28-c of the Banking Law, the Superintendent of Financial Services has found that the proposed closing of branch office at 9085 Old River Road, Town of Marcy, Oneida County ... will not result in a significant reduction of banking services in the community to be affected,” the Banking Division of DFS said on its website.

Boston–based Berkshire Bank is also closing three branches in the Capital District — in Albany, Saratoga, and Schenectady counties.

“The proximity of other branch locations was a factor to close these four locations and the changing consumer preferences and improvements in financial technology have further spurred the reduction in branches,” Heidi Higgins, a Berkshire Bank spokesperson, tells CNYBJ in an email, explaining why the bank is closing the offices. 

Higgins declined to say how many Berkshire employees work at the Marcy branch or what would happen to them. She did say the branch is expected to close on March 29.

Berkshire Bank’s Marcy branch had $19.4 million in deposits as of last June 30, according to the latest FDIC statistics. That’s the lowest amount of deposits of any of Berkshire’s 13 branches in the Utica–Rome metro area, including the 10 offices it has in Oneida County.

All of Berkshire’s 12 other area branches will remain open, including the office at 34 Oriskany Blvd. in Whitesboro, which is the closest — less than four miles away — office to the one that is closing.

Higgins says Berkshire Bank is directing customers of the Marcy branch to visit the Whitesboro office after the closure.