United Security Bank, of Spokane, says it plans to build a bank branch later this year at a site south of Mount Spokane Park Drive between U.S. 2 and Market Street.


Richard Emery, president of United Security Bancorp., the holding company that owns the Spokane bank, says the company is waiting for Spokane County to issue a building permit before work gets under way on the planned, 2,200-square-foot Mount Spokane branch. Once construction starts, Emery expects the branch building to take about four months to complete.


Emery declines to disclose the estimated cost of the project. United Security already has received regulatory approval to open the branch, which is expected to employ five people, he says.


The new bank branch will be located southeast across the intersection of U.S. 2 and Mount Spokane Park Drive from a shopping center thats being developed. The center will be anchored by an Albertsons supermarket.


With other current plans, the Mount Spokane branch will be the banks sixth free-standing branch in the Spokane area. United Security will open a supermarket branch next month in a Rosauers Supermarkets Inc. store in the Spokane Valley, at 10920 E. Sprague. United Security has five other branches located throughout Eastern Washington.


The supermarket branch, which is expected to employ four people, will replace a Washington Mutual bank branch that had been located in the Spokane Valley Rosauers store, but was closed earlier this month. The outlet will be United Securitys first supermarket branch.


Were very excited about the Rosauers connection. Rosauers is known for the high-volume business it does and we believe thats the key to the grocery store branches, Emery says. He adds that the bank plans to open additional supermarket branches as opportunities arise.


The new supermarket branch, along with the grocery store, will move to a new location at 10502 E. Sprague within the next three to four months, Emery says.