A Nassau County committee recommended approval of civil engineering plans for a Fifth Third Bank branch in the Wildlight master-planned community Aug. 26.
The county’s Development Review Committee made the recommendation after seeking additional elevation information for the project, which has been under review since January.
With the approval, applicants for project can take next steps to obtain a building permit. Per county policy, it has one year to obtain a permit before the process starts over with civil plan review.
Skinner Bros. owns the land through WTC North SBRC LLC, which bought the property for $600,000 from Wildlight LLC.
Plans call for a 2,400-square-foot building with a drive-thru and 15 parking spaces. The site is on the north side of Florida 200, about a half-mile east of Interstate 95. It will be the bank’s first Nassau County location.
Fifth Third has 193 branches in Florida, including nine in Jacksonville. It also operates in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia, according to the bank’s website, 53.com.
In December, the bank announced on its site that it plans to open more than 200 branches over the next four years, mainly in markets in the southeast.
The site says Chief Operating Officer Jamie Leonard told investors Nov. 8 that the bank has “built digital and physical infrastructure to deliver a distinct customer experience that fosters deeper banking relationships and supports sustainable growth.”
The bank was founded as the Bank of the Ohio Valley in Cincinnati in 1858. Third National Bank purchased it in 1871. Third National and Fifth National later merged, becoming Fifth Third Bank.
