Bulletin staff report

The banking climate in Bend just got a little hotter.

Columbia Bancorp said last week its subsidiary, Columbia River Bank, submitted an application to the banking regulatory authorities to establish a fourth branch in Bend, according to a company release.

The new branch, to be located on the northwest corner of Wall Street and Newport Avenue, will be within a stone’s throw of Bank of the Cascades’ main branch, Bank of America and Wells Fargo.

”Bend is one of the fastest-growing areas in the state of Oregon,” Roger Christensen, the company’s president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. ”We have experienced much success with our three existing branches in Bend, and the time is right for a fourth branch to increase convenience for our customers and to grow our franchise.”

According to Craig Ortega, executive vice president of Columbia River Bank, the new full-service branch is expected to open in the second quarter of 2004 at 1133 NW Wall Street.

Columbia Bancorp is the financial holding company for Columbia River Bank, which operates 18 branches in Oregon and Washington, including three in Bend.