— — The HSBC branch on Main Street in the City of Tonawanda will close as the First Niagara Financial Group moves toward a pending acquisition of it in May.

The bank made an announcement on Friday that the location will be absorbed into a First Niagara branch on River Road, about a quarter mile away in North Tonawanda.

Also slated for closing is a First Niagara branch at 1776 Sheridan Drive in the Town of Tonawanda, near the Aquatic and Fitness Center. It will be folded into a HSBC branch at 1690 Sheridan Drive, in the plaza with Bon Ton and Tops. The two locations are less than a quarter-mile apart.

First Niagara identified 35 locations throughout New York state — including eight in the greater Buffalo area — that will be consolidated due to their close proximity, most less than a mile of one another, with consolidations taking place in the near future.

As a result, numerous HSBC locations will be shuttered within the next month, according to a press release. Repeated calls to First Niagara representatives for further information were not returned.

“Given the multi-faceted nature of this transaction we haven’t been able to give our customers the level of information that we would typically provide,” said Mark Rendulic, executive vice president of First Niagara, in a statement. “But we’re pleased to now begin to regularly do that with the appropriate and necessary clarity as to what this transaction means to them in the weeks and months ahead.”

First Niagara announced its purchase of 195 HSBC bank branches in upstate New York and Connecticut last year.

Joyce Santiago, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas says she anticipated a possible move following news that the acquisitions were in place.

“We had a feeling because of the close proximity of the banks,” she said.

But despite a pending vacancy, Santiago said it leaves open the possibility for future development. While the building is not owned by the bank, but rather a local resident, she said she has received numerous calls from parties interested in developing the brick structure that has stood in the heart of the city on the corner of Main and Niagara streets for decades.

“I’ve been getting phone calls with people with ideas of what to do with the building,” she said. “It’s in a fine location on the water for condos. Nobody knew what they were going to do with the building so no one wanted to get involved. But it’s definitely in a prime location for living.

Additionally, Santiago said she gets inquires throughout the year from those interested in living along the historic Erie Canal.

“They want to live on the water,” she said. “It’s definitely a prime location.”