Washington Trust Bank plans to begin building a 3,300-square-foot branch at Wandermere Mall this spring.


The Spokane-based bank has owned a construction pad in the southwest portion of the malls parking lot, at Hastings Road and U.S. 395, for quite some time, and has decided to go ahead and build there to further expand its presence in and near Spokanes North Side, says Lisa Phillips, Washington Trusts advertising manager.


As previously reported, Washington Trust also soon will open a branch on the near North Side, at 3810 N. Maple. That new branch will occupy a former Walgreens pharmacy building, which the bank is nearly finished remodeling.


Phillips says Washington Trust is beefing up its North Side branch system because that area is growing and its just looking as though weve got a service gap there.


The Wandermere branch still is in the planning stages, so the bank doesnt have a construction-cost estimate to release yet, Phillips says. The branch will look like other Washington Trust outlets, although the bank will be trying out some new design concepts from a merchandising perspective there, she says. Phillips declines for now to provide more details about those merchandising concepts.


Assuming Washington Trust receives regulatory approval for the new branch, construction should start this spring, and the facility should be open by the end of the year, she says.


Washington Trust will offer drive-through service as well as a lobby with teller counters at the Hastings branch, and will employ five to seven people there, she says.


The Wandermere branch is being designed by Wolfe Architectural Group PS, of Spokane, with interiors by DesignWorks. A contractor for hasnt been selected the project yet.


Washington Trust currently operates 28 branches, located throughout Eastern Washington and parts of Idaho.