The office, which would be housed in a building to be constructed at 368-370 Connecticut St., is expected to open in the first quarter of 2006, pending regulatory approval. In addition to being the bank's fourth branch in the city, it would be the tenth location in its growing Western New York branch system.

The announcement of the site selection for the branch was made today to coincide with the appearance in Buffalo of New York Banking Supt. Diana Taylor.

Taylor was in town to promote the state's eight-year-old Banking Development District program. The program offers incentives for banks to open branches in areas of a community where Taylor's department sees a need for financial services but no bank branches exist. The special districts contribute to improved economic conditions in neighborhoods and for their residents, Taylor said.

In 2002, Greater Buffalo Savings Bank relocated its corporate headquarters and opened a new branch at 2421 Main St. in what became the Masten Banking Development District.

The new West side branch would be in what would become the Connecticut Street Banking Development District.

Since the program was launched in 1997, 17 special districts have been created.
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