Sep. 22--PNC Financial Services Group will close 12 branches in the Pittsburgh market in November when it converts local National City bank offices to the PNC system. Two others in the region will close in 2010.

The 12 branches closing at the end of the day Nov. 6 include seven National City offices and five PNC locations.

Customer accounts will be consolidated into nearby branches, most of which are less than one mile away, the bank said.

The closings "make our operation more efficient while still retaining the ability to deliver exceptional customer service," PNC spokesman Fred Solomon said. "In some cases, National City and PNC bank branches face each other across an intersection or sit just a block away from each other."

Most of the roughly 140 employees who work at the 14 branches are expected to be redeployed to other locations, Mr. Solomon said.

The National City offices to be shuttered Nov. 6 are at Fifth Avenue and Grant Street, Downtown; W. Mall Plaza, Carnegie; Eastgate Plaza, Greensburg; Stroschein Road, Monroeville; 5th Avenue, McKeesport; Richland Mall, Richland; and Seven Fields Boulevard, Seven Fields.

The PNC offices closing Nov. 6 are at Homeville Road, West Mifflin; N. Main Street, Butler; W. Crawford Avenue, Connellsville; Wexford Plaza, Pine; and Pittsburgh Street, Cheswick. PNC's Virginia Manor office in Mt. Lebanon also had been slated to close, but PNC decided to keep it open, Mr. Solomon said.

The two offices set to close in 2010 are PNC branches at 560 Clairton Boulevard (Century III Mall), West Mifflin, and at Tri County Lane, Belle Vernon.

PNC owns some of the shuttered offices and leases the others. Branches in Butler and Connellsville are up for sale, Mr. Solomon said.

Elsewhere in Western Pennsylvania, PNC will close a National City office in Farrell on Oct. 9, National City offices in Erie and Girard on Nov. 6, and PNC branches in Youngsville and Meadville on Nov. 6.

PNC acquired about 170 National City branches in the region when it bought Cleveland-based National City Corp. in December. It was required to divest 61 locations to settle antitrust concerns. First Niagara Financial, based near Buffalo, N.Y., purchased 57 of the divested branches.

Patricia Sabatini can be reached at psabatini@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3066.

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