Northwestern Bank has announced plans to open a second branch office in the Village of Suttons Bay.

A DRAWING of the exterior of the Northwestern Bank branch office that will be built in Hansen Plaza in Suttons Bay.

The new branch office will feature a drive-through in Hansen Plaza off Fourth Street. Northwestern Bank currently has a branch on St. Joseph Ave. (M-22) in downtown Suttons Bay.

Two other banks, Fifth Third and Traverse City State Bank, have drive-through facilities in Hansen Plaza – the only place that drive-throughs are allowed in the Village of Suttons Bay.

The new Northwestern Bank branch will be located at the north end of a building currently housing a coin-operated laundry, a Subway sandwich shop, and the Body Balance fitness center.

Body Balance owner Kevin Pryor, who owns the entire building, said he will lease the new addition to Northwestern Bank. Currently, another addition is under construction at the south end of the building and will become the new site of the laundry.

Jim and Kathy Porter of Bingham Township purchased the laundry business last month. Kathy Porter said last week that she was looking forward to moving the laundry business into the new addition at the southern end of the building.

“We expect to create a clean, friendly environment there and offer excellent drop-off services,” Porter said.

Pryor said that overall plans for the building, including the bank branch addition at the north end, call for substantial improvements to a parking lot and the entrance to Hansen Plaza as well as better pedestrian flow and access to the adjacent Leelanau Trail.

Construction of the new bank branch is slated to begin soon, Pryor said. The office will offer two drive-thru bank lanes, a drive-up ATM, after-hours depository, and nearby parking, according to a news release from Northwestern Bank.

“The bank’s downtown Suttons Bay office will remain open, expanding Northwestern’s presence in Leelanau County,” according to the news release. The bank also has a location in Leland and in the Tom’s West Bay shopping center.

John Visser, Northwestern’s vice president for Leelanau County, was quoted as saying: “We’re excited about offering drive-through banking in Leelanau County. The new office will be especially convenient for our commuting customers.”

Northwestern Bank has 25 offices throughout northern lower Michigan.