NORTHAMPTON — Greenfield Savings Bank will close two underperforming satellite branches in downtown Northampton and Amherst this fall, while at the same time renovating other branches in those municipalities to provide additional services to customers.

The locations to be closed are at 207 Main St. in Northampton, across from City Hall, and at 108 North Pleasant St. in Amherst. The bank has given a 90-day notice to the owners of those buildings, and the branches are expected to close by Oct. 31.

Greenfield Savings Bank President and CEO Tom Meshako said the closures were based on recommendations made by a consulting firm, based on the lower usage and lack of drive-up lanes compared to the bank’s locations at 325 King St. in Northampton and at 6 University Drive in Amherst, both of which are remaining open.

“They’re not only staying open, but we’ve done major multi-year upgrades to both of those facilities,” Meshako said, referring to the King Street and University Drive branches. “Customers prefer locations with drive-ups, and we’re seeing a lot of that in the market right now.”

The bank’s drive-up service includes a video connection to a teller, allowing the customer to cash checks and withdraw money without having to go inside the office, a feature that gained popularity during the pandemic, Meshako said.

He also said no jobs will be eliminated as a result of the closures. A total of four employees were stationed at the closing branches, and those employees are expected to transfer to the bank’s King Street and University Drive locations, as well as the 140 Russell St. branch in Hadley.

Upgrades to the branches that are staying open include an additional drive-up service lane for the University Drive location, and the implementation of additional office space and an education center at the King Street branch.

“We’re still servicing customers while the renovation is ongoing,” Meshako said of the King Street renovations. “It’s really quite exciting about the improvement there, and we’re going to have a grand opening when that’s ready.”

Despite the closure of the two branches, Meshako said Greenfield Savings Bank continues to do well financially.

“We don’t want this to be seen as a negative by any means,” he said. “We’re still looking to continue to grow the organization.”

Other than the two branches closing, there are currently eight Greenfield Savings Bank branches throughout Franklin and Hampshire counties, including its main office in Greenfield. Franklin County branches are located in Greenfield, Conway, Shelburne Falls, Turners Falls and South Deerfield.

Shandra Richardson, the bank’s senior operations officer, said Greenfield Savings Bank is continuing to expand its customer base across Hampshire County at the three branches in the county that are remaining open.

“We’re growing in market share in Hampshire County,” Richardson said.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.

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