‘Committed to downtown’: Peoples Bank reopens as Fairhaven construction continues
Peoples Bank has reopened its downtown Bellingham location and is working on a new Fairhaven branch in the previous location of an iconic restaurant.
The bank celebrated the reopening of its downtown location June 10 at 1333 Cornwall Ave.
“We’re excited to welcome our customers back into our beautifully updated Downtown Bellingham branch,” Chief Retail Banking Officer Kamyar Monsef said in a news release. “This event is our way of saying thank you to the community for their continued support and loyalty.”
“The recent renovations reflect Peoples Bank’s ongoing commitment to providing a modern, comfortable and community-focused banking experience,” the news release states. The grand opening event is titled “Committed to Downtown.”
The downtown location is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday.
The bank is also working on a new branch in historic Fairhaven, taking over the previous location of Zane Burger, an iconic restaurant, and other drive-ins at 1315 12th St.
“This marks the first ground-up bank facility Peoples Bank has built in nearly 20 years, and only the second standalone branch in Whatcom County, following their Ferndale location,” according to a company news release. “Located on the historic site of the former Wins Drive-In, a well-known local burger restaurant, the new two-story, 5,000-square-foot building pays homage to Fairhaven’s distinctive architectural charm.”
Win’s Drive-In was a staple in the Bellingham community for 52 years before being renamed and remodeled. It still maintained the old-school 1960s burger-joint style as Zane Burger.
Faber Construction began the project in April and is set to complete construction by December.
“To accommodate construction safely, Mackenzie Avenue — an adjacent alleyway — has been temporarily closed and will reopen upon substantial project completion in November,” the news release states. “Peoples Bank also took community concerns into account by including additional parking capacity to benefit both customers and neighboring businesses.”
“This new facility ensures that Peoples Bank customers in Fairhaven will continue to have a convenient local branch, especially as the current in-store Haggen location nears the end of its lease,” the news release states.
