The firm signed a lease for approximately 1,500 sf at 200 WhitePlains Rd. The office is scheduled to open on or about Dec. 1. Bankofficials note Provident Bank is currently looking at otheropportunities to expand its presence in Westchester County, whichit states could include new bank branches as well as offices that"provide a full range of personal and business banking and lendingservices to meet the needs of the county's businesses." ProvidentBank SVP Bill Lamadore and regional VP Vincent DeLucia will leadthe team of six employees at its new Tarrytown office.

"Westchester County has a robust economy with a large number ofgrowing small and mid-sized businesses," says George Strayton,president and CEO of Provident Bank. "Provident Bank's newWestchester loan center will give the county's entrepreneurs thefinancing, local expertise and fast, local decisionmaking they needto thrive in today's challenging economy."

Provident Bank has 33 branches serving the Hudson Valley regionof New York. The bank, headquartered in Montebello, broke groundlast week on a nearly 7,000-sf shopping center at 3 Bryle Pl. inChester. When finished in spring 2008, the bank will open a3,400-sf branch at the Orange County location adjacent to Route 17and lease out the remaining space to two retailers. In September,the bank broke ground on another new Orange County branch. Its newlocation at 38 Boniface Dr. in Pine Bush will total 3,800 sf and isnearly twice the size of its current bank branch there. The newPine Bush branch is also slated for a spring 2008 opening.