LEWISTON – The Lewiston branch of Mechanics Savings Bank is going to shrink before it grows.

In preparation for construction of a new branch at its 664 Main St. location, a temporary unit is being installed on the property so business can go on as usual.

“The temporary facility is smaller, so we’re hoping employees and customers will bear with us over the next several months,” said Richard J. Vail, bank president.

Bank executives decided the building at the site was outdated and too small to accommodate future growth of the 133-year-old community bank. Better to tear it down and build a new, expanded facility on the same site, said Vail. A temporary unit will allow customers to still be serviced in Lewiston, rather than go to the bank’s Auburn or Windham branches during construction.

“We thought this was the most practical approach,” said Vail.

Construction on the new bank should be finished by early December. It will be about 3,400 square feet, roughly 50 percent bigger than the 2,100-square-foot building there now.

“This will allow us to accommodate more growth,” he said. “We’ll have the space for new staff when needed.”

Right now, staff work stations have encroached into the lobby area to the point where there’s little lobby left, said Vail. The new branch will give customers and staff a more pleasant environment.

“Even though these are difficult economic times, we decided to take a long-term view,” he said of the project’s timing. “We’re a small mutual community bank with three branches. It’s not our goal to expand branch presence, it’s to invest in our infrastructure to deliver better services.”

Crews are fitting up the temporary unit with utilities and other services so it can function as a full-service bank – including a drive-up window – once the old branch closes. Vail said the plan is to have the temporary unit up and running on Saturday, April 12. The bank will be closed Friday, April 11, to allow for the move.