SunTrust says shuttered Steele Creek branch to open next week

The unopened branch in October

SunTrust Banks says Jan. 27 is the opening date for a Steele Creek branch that was completed more than three years ago but has remained closed ever since.

In October, the Atlanta-based bank told the Observer that it was waiting for “a more opportune time” to open the branch.

“As with any project like this, there are a lot of moving parts, including the recessionary climate the economy was experiencing,” the bank said at the time.

The branch is in RiverGate, a major shopping center in southwest Charlotte. The shopping center is home to Best Buy, Super Target and other big-name retailers.

Mecklenburg County issued an occupancy certificate in 2010 for the branch.

Business owners and employees in the shopping center have called the unopened branch an eyesore and puzzled over why it has remained shuttered.

SunTrust is the fifth largest bank by market share in the Charlotte metropolitan area.

(Photo by Deon Roberts)