Fifth Third Bank has plans to bring approximately 750 employees to downtown Cincinnati, expanding its headquarters footprint by nearly 30%, bank officials said Wednesday.
The move will increase the bank’s downtown workforce from roughly 2,700 to about 3,450 employees spread across Fifth Third Center at Fountain Square and a new office at nearby Columbia Plaza, according to Amanda Nageleisen, vice president and senior public relations manager at Fifth Third Bank.
“We believe deeply in the power of being together and harnessing the speed, creativity and cohesion that come from shared space,” said Tim Spence, chairman, president and CEO.
The expansion, which Spence framed as both a business and civic priority, is intended to support downtown restaurants, public spaces and revitalization efforts, including commercial-to-residential housing conversions.
“It’s incumbent on all of us who care about this city to do our part,” Spence said.
Employees from the Madisonville Operations Building will relocate downtown as part of the plan. That building will close, while the separate Madisonville Operations Center will remain open, be renovated and is expected to grow, Nageleisen said. The moves will occur in phases over the coming months.
“Our priority is to help employees plan and minimize disruptions to their daily lives,” Nageleisen said.
Fifth Third has operated in Cincinnati for 167 years and has anchored Fountain Square since 1969, Nageleisen added. The bank, located at 38 Fountain Square Plaza, also operates The Eateries at Fifth Third Center, a dining hub featuring Chipotle, Graeter’s, Potbelly and, soon, Skyline Chili.