Berkshire Bank intends to close one of its original Connecticut branches.
The Western Massachusetts lender, owned by Berkshire Hills Bancorp, recently asked the Department of Banking for permission to shutter its 66 Cedar St. branch in Newington.
It’s one of the eight branches Berkshire took over through its $30 million acquisition of Connecticut Bank & Trust Co. in 2012, which represented its entry into Connecticut.
Since then, Berkshire has grown its Connecticut footprint to 27 branches and offices, according to federal data, including through its acquisition of Savings Institute Bank & Trust Co. last year.
“We regularly evaluate our branch network to ensure we are delivering our services in a manner that aligns with our customers’ preferences and expectations,” Brian Sullivan, Berkshire’s senior vice president of retail branch banking, said in a statement. “While it is never easy to close one of our locations, we have decided to consolidate our Newington branch with our Rocky Hill branch, which is less than six miles away, beginning in January 2021.”
Berkshire has nearby branches in West Hartford, Farmington, Glastonbury and Simsbury.
Sullivan said Berkshire is communicating the planned Cedar Street closure to customers and is working to find roles for impacted employees at other branches.
“We have a strong track record of retaining team members who have previously been impacted by a consolidation,” he said.
