Florida Community Bank picks Westshore for its latest branch
By Margie Manning
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Oct 23, 2015

One of the newest banks to enter the Tampa Bay market is on the fast track to open branches.

Florida Community Bank won regulatory approval on Oct. 21 to open its second Bay area branch at 130 S. Westshore Blvd., in Town Square Center at the Westshore and Kennedy boulevards.

The bank had a grand opening just last month for its first local full-service banking center at Tampa Village Center, at 13128 N. Dale Mabry Highway.

Florida Community Bank, part of Weston-based FCB Financial Holdings Inc. (NYSE: FCB), entered the Tampa market in the spring, naming Ardian Zika as senior vice president and commercial banking director, responsible for Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties.

"When we entered the Tampa Bay market earlier this year, we made a commitment to expanding our footprint in the community and view Tampa Bay as a key market with potential for future development,” Zika said in an email. "The decision to locate a banking center on the intersection of Westshore Boulevard and West Kennedy Boulevard was based on the strategic decision to have a direct presence in the Westshore business district and residential communities in the vicinity. We will continue to look for opportunities to expand our banking center network in the Tampa Bay region.”

The new office is about 1,500 square feet - smaller than traditional bank branches, but in keeping with trends in the banking industry, which has seen less foot traffic from customers who increasingly rely on online banking. While Florida Community Bank offers "robust” technology, the bank continues to focus on customer relationships and highly personalized service, Zika said.

Florida Community Bank has a long-term lease for the Westshore site and expects to open sometime in early 2016.

FCB Financial, the fourth-largest bank headquartered in Florida, posted third-quarter net income of $21.1 million, or 48 cents a share, after reporting a loss in the same period last year, the Associated Press reported.

Margie Manning is Print Editor of the Tampa Bay Business Journal. She also covers the Money beat.