Naperville Bank & Trust to open downtown branch

Something old is about to be new again in downtown Naperville.

Naperville Bank & Trust will open its new downtown branch at 8:30 a.m. Monday in the renovated 1940s downtown Naperville post office building at 5 S. Washington St.

The bank purchased the 32,000-square-foot building last year and is leasing space back to the U.S. Postal Service, which will operate a retail center inside the building.

About 2,000 square feet on the south of the building will remain a postal facility to serve the businesses and residents of downtown with a postal service window and rental boxes.

Tom Miers, president of the Naperville market for Wintrust Financial Corporation, said the bank is excited to show off both the renovated facility and the concept.

“We’ve adopted the slogan ‘Something old is new’ because this really is a unique situation for us to take banking back to what it used to be, a place for people to gather, socialize and conduct their business,” said Miers, a 43-year Naperville resident. “But we’re doing it while incorporating a new state-of-the-art post office in a historic building on the north end of downtown.”

Highlights of the yearlong renovation include the creation of an open floor plan with roof windows to provide additional light through the lobby; reuse of the existing marble wainscot from 1939 and the 1963 renovation; restoration of the original oak windows; reuse of the original vault door; and installation of art deco-style lighting fixtures.

An original mural commissioned by the government for the 1939 structure will be moved from its current home at the Ogden Avenue post office to a wall over the new teller windows.

Architects from the Charles Vincent George Design Group worked with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and the Naperville Heritage Society to ensure the character and detail of the building was preserved.

The 1939 facade of the building has been kept intact, with the main entrance renovation based on the original 1939 drawings.

Display kiosks inside the bank will showcase post office and Naperville artifacts, chosen and curated in cooperation with the post office and heritage society.

Miers said the bank also recently partnered with the DuPage Children’s Museum to provide an interactive play area for children.

“Between our partnerships with the post office, children’s museum and historical society, we’re pretty confident this is going to provide a unique experience for our residents and business partners,” he said. “It’s going to be a little different but we’re really excited about it.”

Bank and city officials will rededicate the building during a grand opening celebration at 10 a.m. April 28. Miers said the event will feature the Chicago Cubs Trolley, kids activities, entertainment from the Naperville Lightguard Band directed by Ron Keller and refreshments and giveaways.

“It’s going to be an old-fashioned celebration for a new concept,” he said.