BANKING/FINANCE : First Interstate Decides to Retain Downtown Huntington Beach Branch

Impressed with efforts by Huntington Beach to revitalize its downtown, First Interstate Bank has decided to maintain its position on Main Street.

The Main Street branch was scheduled to be consolidated with the First Interstate branch at Adams Avenue and Beach Boulevard, about 2 miles away. But talks with city officials persuaded the bank to keep the downtown branch open.

Joe Bernhardt, the bank’s district manager, said: “We met with city officials 18 months ago, and they gave us a presentation of what was going to happen. But nothing happened. Early this year, Security Pacific pulled out and we were the only major bank left downtown.”

Bernhardt quickly announced that First Interstate’s Main Street branch would be closed too. But city officials called a hasty meeting to point out that buildings were being condemned and new structures going up downtown.

Bernhardt said he looked into the changes, learned that about 1,000 new residences would be put up and decided to stay.

“I feel good about downtown now and want to be part of it,” he said. “We’ll relocate from the existing site to a bigger facility downtown, because our building will probably be taken as part of the urban renewal. But I’m really impressed that things are finally starting to move.”