Northwest Bank is preparing to shift the bulk of its Columbus-area operations to Dublin, relocating 120 employees to a new office as part of a deal that could grow to 300 local jobs by 2034. Dublin City Council is expected to vote on a proposed economic development agreement backing the move on August 24, with a first reading already completed earlier this month.
A Second Headquarters Shift for Northwest
The bank, headquartered in Columbus, operates 152 full-service financial centers and 11 drive-up locations across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Indiana, according to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Northwest Bank was founded in Bradford, Pennsylvania, in 1896, and this would mark its second headquarters shift within the Columbus market in five years, following its 2021 move from Warren, Pennsylvania to office space at Easton. The station reports that Northwest Bank has added senior leadership and other corporate positions in Columbus and continues to invest in the city as a key growth market.
Jeremiah Gracia, Dublin's economic development director, said per a council memo that Northwest selected Dublin after a nationwide search that included other Columbus-market office options. The proposed economic development agreement does not specify where in Dublin the bank's new office will be located, and the station notes Northwest Bank is limited in what it can share while the formal review and approval process plays out. The bank is described as considering a real estate opportunity in Dublin to support anticipated long-term growth.
Incentives Tied to Strict Performance Benchmarks
Under the proposed agreement, Dublin would return 15% of income tax withheld from Northwest's new employees to the company each year from 2031 through 2035, with the rebate capped at $460,000, according to Citizen Portal AI. Northwest Bank would also receive a separate $50,000 location grant, but only after providing proof of a 15-year commercial lease and obtaining a municipal occupancy permit. Those compliance milestones give the city legal protection before any incentive dollars change hands.
The relocation would place Northwest Bank in company with other financial institutions that have recently chosen Dublin over Columbus proper. Pathways Financial Credit Union agreed in July 2025 to move its headquarters and 46 staff members from Columbus to Dublin, receiving a similar incentive package that included a $60,000 location grant from the city.
Bridge Park and Bridge North Draw Corporate Tenants
Dublin's Planning & Zoning Commission granted conditional approval in July 2026 for the Bridge North final development plan, authorizing roughly 75,000 square feet of office space along Riverside Drive, a Tempo hotel, a parking structure and a central public park. Nearby, J Block is under construction near Bridge North at Bridge Park and will include more than 100,000 square feet of Class A office space, alongside 89 luxury condos known as The Ellis and 7,000 square feet of retail.
Canadian energy producer Cenovus Energy is expected to anchor J Block, having signed a lease for more than 50,000 square feet of Class A space and planning to relocate to Bridge Park in 2027, bringing roughly 120 regional headquarters jobs, as Hoodline previously reported. Crawford Hoying's broader Bridge Park development represents more than $500 million in private investment along the Scioto River, with the City of Dublin having invested over $114 million in supporting public infrastructure for the district.
Retail Expansion Runs Alongside the HQ Push
The prospective headquarters move comes as Northwest Bank pursues a separate Central Ohio retail branch expansion. The bank opened its first Central Ohio regional financial center in New Albany in July 2026, and it plans to open additional retail locations in Columbus, Gahanna and Westerville, a push the NBC4 report says is expected to create 30 to 40 full-time jobs.
Northwest Bank's parent company, Northwest Bancshares, has been growing quickly on the strength of a $233.8 million acquisition of Penns Woods Bancorp completed in July 2025, which added $2.2 billion in assets and $1.6 billion in deposits. As of mid-2026, the company reported total assets of $17.2 billion and net loans of $13.08 billion across its four-state footprint. Dublin City Council's vote next week will determine whether the city's incentive package moves forward alongside those growth plans.
