Community Bank Opens at Site of Former Truist, Etc., on Linden Street in Bethlehem, and Is Giving Away $5,000

Aug. 27, 2025

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

While some banks close branches, Community Bank is opening them in the Lehigh Valley.

It’s also holding a $5,000 giveaway. People who visit the new location by Sept. 15 may enter.

The DeWitt, New York-based bank has opened a branch at 2943 Linden St. in Bethlehem, a busy residential and retail area. The branch is just south of the intersection of Macada Road, near Walgreens, a daycare center, and across the street from a gas station, Linden Beverage and the Linden Lofts, the apartments on the site of the former Stefano’s restaurant.

To the north are strip malls and two big shopping centers at the intersection of Route 191 and Route 22, with anchors WalMart, Aldi, Home Depot, and Giant.

Community Bank acquired the property for $1.5 million in May 2024, according to Northampton County property records. The location shows the evolution of Lehigh Valley banks. It was a National Penn branch, then KNBT and later BB&T.

In June, Community Bank said it would acquire seven Lehigh Valley branches from Santander for 12 branches total in the region, giving it a Top 5 market share. That deal is expected to be complete by the end of this year, with all acquired branches remaining open and all staff offered employment, according to the June statement.

Community Bank is a subsidiary of Community Financial System (NYSE:CBU). Shares in the parent company were trading at $61.44 at 10:15 a.m. today (Aug. 27), giving the company a market capitalization of $3.25 billion.