GLASSBORO — Sun National Bank will be opening the first retail bank branch in the borough's downtown in 18 years when it opens its 1,500 square-foot facility on the first floor of the Whitney Center in August.

With the Green Zebra and PRIME Burger restaurants currently open and several others scheduled to open by the end of the summer, the retail space will be nearly half full by the end of this summer, according to Ronda Abbruzzese, director of business development in Glassboro.

The bank, the first in the area since First Fidelity Bank at the corner of Main and High streets closed in 1995, will have a number of amenities including televisions that will broadcast both Sun information along with Rowan University’s upcoming events and athletic calendar.

Borough Council President Anthony Fiola said the borough is happy to see Sun’s investment in the area.

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“The fact that a bank is willing to locate at Rowan Boulevard is a great thing,” said Fiola. “It tells us that that building is viable.”

The Whitney Center, a mixed-use building that houses retail businesses on the ground floor and Rowan University student housing on floors two through five, originally opened up to student residents in September 2011.

According to Abbruzzese, the retail part of the center currently has a little more than 10,000 square feet still available to retail business operators.

Abbruzzese said they are currently reaching the end of a restaurant outreach program in which the borough approached 200 handpicked businesses to try and generate interest in the region.

She said she is optimistic that some of those restaurants will reach an agreement to open up at the Whitney Center and she says that she expects at least two restaurants to commit to the second mixed-use building on Rowan Boulevard that is set to be completed by the end of August.

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Contact staff writer Phil Davis at 856-686-3631 or pdavis@southjerseymedia.com