One week after fire forced the closure of its busy Oakes Field branch, Commonwealth Bank announced today it will re-open branch operations in a 5,000 square foot temporary location on John F. Kennedy Drive as early as Wednesday, May 29.
"The temporary loss of our Oakes Field branch is really unfortunate, but we are pleased to announce that we will be opening on Wednesday, May 29 at our new temporary location at the corner of JFK and Bethel Avenue, across from BTC," said Ian Jennings, Commonwealth Bank President.
Jennings agreed the move took "a herculean effort," but credited staff and the cooperation of Royal Bank of Canada, BTC, Cable Bahamas and other vendors.
"Everybody bent over backwards to assist," said Jennings. " We were able to save some equipment from Oakes Field so we moved that in and BTC and Cable Bahamas have been all but tripping over themselves to help. Royal Bank of Canada also assisted us by making equipment available to us that they had just moved out of their old branch. Our staff pulled out all the stops in getting this new location ready, working around the clock if necessary. We just cannot thank everyone involved enough."
The new location will provide nearly all services, including 24-hour ABMs and Saturday banking from 10 am to 1 pm, with the exception of a night depository.
"We are asking Oakes Field branch night deposit customers to use the Town Centre Mall branch," said Jennings. All Oakes Field staff have been relocated and the phone number, 322-3474, has been transferred to the new location, close to the six-leg roundabout on John F. Kennedy Drive.
Police have not yet released the report of their investigation into what may have led to the blaze that erupted at the height of the freak rain event that dumped nearly 16 inches of water on parts of New Providence in a matter of hours during the evening hours of May 21. That storm was accompanied by bursts of thunder and lightning with one bolt so bright it turned the night sky pink. The Oakes Field branch, one of the busiest in the bank's network, was slated for a major expansion later this year.
