Northwestern students and Evanston residents have some new banking options.

Construction is under way for a new Fifth Third Bank branch on Maple Avenue near the Church Street Plaza, and a new branch of Harris Bank opened Aug. 7 in downtown Evanston.

Located at 1638 Maple Ave., Evanston’s Harris Bank is the newest of more than 147 Chicago locations. The new branch offers a full array of banking options, including traditional retail banking and investment consultation services.

But for students interest seems to lie in basic services, perks and convenience.

“When choosing a bank, I would want everything to be as free as possible with as few fees as possible,” said Tracey Bohannon, a Kellogg graduate student.

Harris offers free checking with no minimum balance and ATM and debit cards, according to the bank’s Web site.

However some students said a bank in downtown Evanston is not convenient.

“LaSalle is the best choice for Northwestern,” said Mary Rhee, a Weinberg freshman, citing the bank’s branch in Norris University Center.

Jessica Furr, a Weinberg freshman, said she thinks LaSalle is too locally based.

“I just chose LaSalle because it was easier — it’s right here,” Furr said. “But what’s really important is having a bank I can access from anywhere in the country.”

Jen Dillon, media relations manager for Harris Bank, said Harris ATMs are located in Speedway gas stations all over the country.

Dillon praised Harris’ community-friendly attitude and said the bank likes to sponsor local events and partner with local companies.

It will take a few months to see whether Harris will draw students away from the on-campus convenience of LaSalle. Some said they think the bank will.

“If something is in downtown Evanston, it’s not too far behind in terms of convenience,” Bohannon said. “LaSalle seems to be the most convenient bank, but it’s not the only bank.”