Fifth Third Bank closing Perkins location

PERKINS TWP. — Fifth Third Bank is cutting the number of its local locations in half.The bank holding company, based out of Cincinnati, announced in April it planned to consolidate its Perkins Township and Sandusky banking center locations."Fifth Third Bank continually evaluates its branch network for changes," company spokeswoman Anna Kolin said. "As customer preferences and activities shift, we continuously look to evolve and optimize our branch network to ensure we're operating as efficiently and effectively as possible."The Perkins location on Milan Road next to Arby's will close for good at 4 p.m. on July 30, but the Sandusky location at Hayes Avenue and West Perkins Avenue would remain open.The Sandusky Banking Center has the same hours and offers the same services that clients of the Perkins location have come to expect.Anyone with safety deposit boxes at the location needs to empty it before the July 9 when the boxes will be opened and the contents will be put in a central vault location or sent to the owner's state as unclaimed property.Customers can choose to transfer the items to a safety deposit box at the Sandusky location and use it for one year for free. A letter confirming you're a customer must be shown to make use of this deal."Customers were notified of the change by letter and were provided information on the next closest branch location," Kolin said.The next closest location other than Sandusky would be the Vermilion Banking Center on Liberty Avenue, but Kolin said customers also have access to more than 50,000 fee-free ATMs nationwide as well as internet and mobile banking services.Reach reporter Michael Harrington at michaelharrington@sanduskyregister.com, follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterThe Fifth Third Bank on Milan Road will close at the end of July as the banking company consolidates it with its Sandusky location Hayes Avenue.