Guaranty Bank and Trust Co. of Mississippi will be a new tenant in downtown Greenwood, occupying the historic Wilson Banking Co. building on Howard Street.
A late afternoon gathering on Thursday, sponsored by Powers Properties and Main Street Greenwood, welcomed the bank branch and its staff to town.
“We looked all over town for a place, and we’re delighted to be here,” said Guaranty CEO Hue Townsend of Belzoni.
Robert Toomey of Greenwood will serve as the bank president with Melanie Willingham as branch manager and Stacie Acey as personal banker.
With $800 million in assets, Guaranty has branches in Grenada and Indianola and others from as far south as Vicksburg to Southaven in the north, blanketing the northwest corner of the state.
“We aren’t about being the biggest bank,” Townsend said. “We’re about helping the northwest corner of Mississippi grow.
“I hope we can help Greenwood grow by providing the best service and advice.”
Pam Powers of Powers Properties helped arrange a three-year lease for the bank, which will occupy the first floor of the Wilson building. Greenwood lawyers Webb Franklin, Sam Fonda and Tom Flanagan own the building and have offices on the second floor.
The building, constructed in 1916 and enlarged in 1925, has housed banks in its past but the first floor has stood empty for a number of years.
Mayor Carolyn McAdams welcomed guests and introduced a short film produced by Matthew Moore for Main Street Greenwood touting the Rehabit Project that seeks new tenants for vacant downtown buildings.
“This was an old building, an historic building, and now we have new life in this building,” McAdams said.
The site, part of the Cotton Row Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places, will require significant cosmetic work on the inside, including removing peeling paint and restoring original trims and decorative elements.
The Beaux Arts structure with elaborate concrete cartouches and plaster capitals and bases stands out among downtown buildings with its caddy-corner entranceway straddling the corner of Howard and Market Streets.
Guaranty hopes to have a soft opening in about 30 days, and expects to be fully functional by the end of August.
•Contact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com.
