BY JON ANDERSON, Vestavia Voice; Image: NextGen version of Fifth Third Bank’s newest bank branches.

Fifth Third Bank, a Cincinnati-based bank, recently expanded into Alabama and plans to build a bank branch in the Liberty Park community in Vestavia Hills.

The bank has chosen an outparcel of the Publix shopping center in Liberty Park at 3178 Rush St.

The plan is for a 1,900-square-foot building with an open layout and modular seating instead of traditional teller lines, said Jennie Fisher, a spokeswoman for the bank. The bank is still working through permitting and will finalize a construction timeline after that, but the target opening date is the second half of 2026, Fisher said.