Here’s what is happening to the old Harbor General Store building in downtown Gig Harbor

Commencement Bank is moving into the old Harbor General Store building in downtown Gig Harbor.

The bank’s chief executive officer, John E. Manolides, told the Gateway they expect to open the new branch this summer.

“We’re thinking we should be able to be in there in the next two, three months,” Manolides said May 28. “It’s not a big remodel, by any means, but it takes a while to get the flooring and that kind of stuff, furniture.”

The bank announced the opening of a branch at 3006 Judson St., Suite 101, last year in Gig Harbor.

Commencement Bank plans to close the Judson location when it moves into the Harbor General Store space at 7804 Pioneer Way.

“The fact that it has a drive-thru is really appealing, and it has great parking right in front,” Manolides said.

When the bank isn’t open, after hours and on weekends, the goal is to open that parking to the public for free, he said.

“It’s kind of hard to park downtown sometimes, so we want to have that be available,” he said.

The bank is headquartered in Tacoma and has locations in Olympia, Auburn and Enumclaw.

“Gig Harbor is just a natural extension for us,” he said.

The bank was one of 10 headquartered in Pierce County when it opened in 2006. Now there are only two banks headquartered in Pierce County, Manolides said: Commencement and Sound Banking Co. in Lakewood.

“We’re excited to bring a locally headquartered bank into downtown Gig Harbor,” he said.

The Harbor General store opened in 2015 and closed suddenly in March 2023.

“We are sad to say goodbye to our staff and our customers,” the owners of the grocery store and cafe, Stephanie and Coby Sagle, wrote in a social media post March 6, 2023. “The time has come for our family to spend more time together, slow down our pace of life and transition into another adventure.”

The downtown QFC closed several years prior, the Gateway reported.