The Bank of Fairfield says it plans to move its Spokane branch from north of downtown to the first floor of the Fidelity Building, at Howard Street and Riverside Avenue, in the city center.

The Fairfield-based bank's sole Spokane branch currently occupies space at 201 W. North River Drive, but will move downtown sometime between December and February, says Tim Cassels, the bank's chief financial officer and Spokane branch manager. "It depends on the construction," Cassels says.

A building permit has been issued to Riverside 522 LLC for an interior remodel of the about 3,100-square-foot space. WEB Properties Inc., owner and manager of the building, is listed as the contractor on the project, and Al French Architect PLLC designed the branch space.

The planned remodel includes construction of a new entrance at the southwest corner of the building, placement of an automatic teller machine (ATM) and night deposit box on Riverside, and construction of a customer lobby, four offices, a conference room, and other rooms, at a cost listed at $30,000.

French says the design is "about customer service. The traditional teller is gone. Instead of having people standing in line, they will sit down with a personal representative."

The Fidelity Building, at 522 W. Riverside, was constructed in 1952 as the headquarters for Fidelity Savings & Loan, says WEB Properties' Web site. The space most recently was occupied by First Interstate Bank, but "sat vacant for quite awhile," French says.

The Journal of Business reported in June that the Bank of Fairfield had applied to regulators to relocate its branch on North River Drive to the Fidelity Building.

The Bank of Fairfield was incorporated in 1908 in Fairfield, Wash., about 20 miles south of Spokane Valley. It has seven branches, including in Spokane, Spokane Valley, Spangle, Rockford, and Rosalia.