First Savings Bank in Flandreau opened Monday in the West End Plaza, moving from its long-held spot downtown.
The bank has added a drive-up window and an ATM machine as part of the move, services it wasn’t able to provide in the historic building at Second Avenue and Wind Street that also wasn’t handicap accessible.
“We wanted to offer more services to our customers,” said Byron Ekdom, Midwest Division President for First Savings. “We’re committee to the community on a long-term basis by getting in a bigger space, and we’re here for the long term.”
Along with the move that provides updated space, the bank plans to hire a full-time lender, he said. First Savings provides consumer, agriculture and commercial loans with Flandreau being an area for strong agriculture lending.

The banks two tellers, Heather Lenning and Lily Palo, also will remain on staff.
Bank hours will be the same this week but will change next week.
Beginning Tuesday, November 12, the lobby will open from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., while the drive-up will be staffed 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The ATM and a drop box will be available at all times. The bank uses MoneyPass for its ATM, a nationwide surcharge-free network.
The move to the plaza has been months in the making and takes coordination with the bank’s vendors. Work included a security system and new phones, and the bank had to get approval from federal regulators, said Bonnie Hybertson, executive administrative assistant and security officer.
First Savings Bank with banks in 22 locations in six states, including 10 South Dakota locations, is owned by former South Dakota Governor Frank Farrar, who also has other bank charters. The size of all of the banks together places the community bank system among the largest bank of its type in the state, Ekdom said.
“We’re a community bank but we have a lot of products and services,” he said. “We have a pretty high legal lending limit so we can do pretty big deals.”
First Savings Bank has been in Flandreau since the late 1980s, Ekdom said. The downtown bank building most likely will be sold, he said.