The name of the new bank to be built on the site of the old White Castle restaurant at 3837 Shelbyville Road has finally been made public.

Eclipse Bank, a bank being organized by a group of 18 prominent Louisvillians, filed an application on Feb. 15 with the Kentucky Office of Financial Institutions and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to become a state-chartered bank.

John Pendergrass, 55, a former PNC Bank executive who will serve as the bank's chairman, president and CEO, said that the approval process for the bank's application should take three to four months. If approved, the bank will operate from its temporary location at 135 Chenoweth Lane until its new location at the White Castle site is complete.

According to a proposal pending with Louisville Metro Planning & Design Services, Eclipse Bank plans to demolish the White Castle building and build a two-story, 5,062-square-foot bank with two drive-through lanes.

If plans are approved, construction on the bank could begin by late spring and the building could be open by Thanksgiving, said Pendergrass.

According to a bank press release, Eclipse is working with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Louisville Metro Public Works and the city of St. Matthews to improve access and traffic flow to the site.

St. Matthews Mayor Arthur Draut said that despite what many people may think, the White Castle site is not within the city of St. Matthews; it's in the Louisville Metro city limits.

He said that "something should happen" with the site, but he questioned the feasibility of another bank in an area with an abundance of banks; however, he added that the bank's organizers have proven themselves successful in business and investing in the past.

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