City National to construct new building in Ironton

IRONTON -- City National Bank will be building a new bank at South 5th Street and Park Avenue on a lot formerly owned by the city and used for a farmer's market.

"We hope to break ground in mid-May and be in the new bank by late fall," Carl Bowen, executive vice president of City National Bank in Huntington, said Wednesday afternoon. "This will allow us to better serve our customers and provide adequate parking. It will allow us to continue to serve the Ironton."

The bank sold its current building at 415 Center St., across the street from the Lawrence County Courthouse to Clerk of Courts Les Boggs for $350,000, according to property transfer records in the Lawrence County auditor's office. The bank has signed a lease with Boggs for the building to stay in its current location until the new bank is ready later this year.

Mayor Rich Blankenship has asked for bank officials to attend an Ironton City Council meeting at 6 p.m. today (Thursday) to discuss the new bank. The city sold the property to the bank several years ago. The property currently is used for parking for courthouse employees. It also has been used for a farmer's market on Saturdays during the summer.

The current bank building has 44 parking spaces. The two story building has 80,000 square feet.

"I want to use the building to recruit new jobs," Boggs said. :I want to work with the Ironton Port Authority on this. It's a good piece of property."