Bank of America to permanently close another Charlotte branch this spring

Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) is permanently shuttering one of its Charlotte branches.

The branch at 6611 Carmel Road has been closed since April 2020, with employees working at other locations. It will close permanently on April 26. Customers are encouraged to visit the branch at 9505 Pineville-Matthews Road or other nearby locations at The Arboretum or Ballantyne.

Charlotte-based BofA said its clients are using digital banking services about 90% of the time. It has more than 41 million active digital customers.

"Our financial centers today are more focused on relationship-building and providing personalized advice to clients, and less so on transactions, most (of) which can be done easily and conveniently via our digital channels. As our clients’ behaviors change, we will continue to adapt the number and type of financial centers (traditional vs. advanced) that are part of our physical network," BofA said in a statement to the Charlotte Business Journal.

That strategy involves opening branches in new markets, such as Ohio or Kentucky, and trimming them in others. Most big banks are making similar moves, with the Southeast becoming a hotbed for market-share opportunity.

Three more local BofA branches are scheduled to close soon — one at 3021 Prosperity Church Drive in Charlotte will close later this month; two others at 368 W. Plaza Drive in Mooresville and 113 W. Broad St. in Statesville will close in February, according to Office of the Comptroller of the Currency filings.

BofA and other big banks have been temporarily closing hundreds of branches nationwide due to Covid-19. The more contagious Omicron variant is causing staffing issues, with some locations opting for a drive-thru-only setup and others shutting down completely. As of yesterday, more than 10 BofA branches in Charlotte, not including the surrounding region, were closed, according to its branch locator website.

BofA, the Charlotte area's largest bank by deposits, has more than 50 branches here, plus more than 230 ATMs.

Bank customers are asked to visit its branch locator website for up-to-date information on branch closings.