First Bank & Trust to Open New Bank Branch on Main Street in Evanston

First Bank & Trust is pleased to announce that it will be moving its branch located at 741 Main St. in Evanston to Chicago + Main, a new mixed-use, high-rise building being constructed at 835 Chicago Ave. The new branch will continue to be managed by First Bank & Trust’s Assistant Vice President Chris White and is scheduled to open in summer 2016.

The bank will occupy one of four or five retail spaces on the ground floor of the nine-story building. The second floor will contain offices, and the remaining floors will include 112 rental units. Riverside Investment & Development Company is developing this project in partnership with Atlantic Realty Partners. The project plans for a LEED Silver building that promotes renewable clean energy and falls in line with First Bank & Trust’s commitment to having green and eco-friendly branches.

Riverside Investment & Development CEO John O’Donnell said he is thrilled to have First Bank & Trust in the building. “The bank is a great financial institution and a strong community partner. With FB&T and our other retail tenant of Goddess & the Baker on board, Chicago + Main will have a strong foundation,” he said.

The new bank branch will feature a state-of-the-art open floor plan. Bankers will greet customers when they enter and handle their needs on a case-by-case basis. Each employee will be trained to handle almost any potential request a customer may have.

“As more and more banking transactions are being done online, bank branches need to evolve to satisfy customer needs. Our goal is to create a space completely dedicated to our customers and the community. When people come into the bank they should feel a connection with their banker,” said Paul Kogol, Senior Vice President of Retail Banking for First Bank & Trust. “The idea is to remove the barriers and offer our customers bankers who can act as advisors.”The new branch, designed by Evanston architecture firm Behles + Behles, is one of the first bank branches in the Chicago area to embrace the open floor plan concept.

“We are very excited to rethink the way our branches are designed to increase efficiency and encourage more collaboration with our customers and our communities,” Kogol said.

FIRST BANK & TRUST, celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2015, is a locally owned and managed community bank with a mission to be the most responsive and the most responsible bank in the communities we serve. We are dedicated to supporting individuals, privately-held and family-owned businesses and non-profits as they pursue their dreams. Our goal is to spur economic growth and development in Chicagoland, including the North Shore and the western suburbs. For more information about First Bank & Trust, visit www.firstbt.com.