Venture Bank, which has an office in Gig Harbor, recently announced it plans to expand for the first time into King County, with the signing of an agreement for the purchase of a branch building in Kent.
   The branch, at 10914 SE Kent-Kangley Road, is a former Pacific Northwest Bank branch which is being acquired from Wells Fargo. This full-service location is scheduled to open to the public later this year.
   While a target of Nov. 1 has been set for the branch opening, much work needs to be done. The Kent branch will be completely remodeled – one of the first in the Venture system to showcase Venture’s new customer-friendly, northwest-centric design and architectural features, including a business center and private meeting rooms.
   The acquisition of the Kent facility closely follows the Bank’s announcement that it has signed a purchase and sales agreement for a new administrative headquarters site in Pierce County. Venture intends to construct a new, 50,000 square foot facility in the multi-million dollar DuPont Station development.