The Pittsfield-headquartered Berkshire Bank is planning to move into downtown Boston, fresh off the heels of its recently announced acquisition of another franchise with a strong presence in New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Berkshire filed an application in July with the Massachusetts Division of Banks to open a branch at 121 Congress St.

“Berkshire chose to go the route of opening a new location to allow for greater site selection opportunities versus purchasing an existing traditional branch,” Tami M. Gunsch, executive vice president of retail banking, said in a statement emailed to Banker & Tradesman. “The Berkshire Bank branch model reduces operating, core build-out and square footage costs. Lower costs means more branch convenience, brand presence and maximizing teamwork through an efficient floor plan that can easily shift tasks in response to customer traffic.”

Gunsch said the bank anticipates opening the new branch at the year’s end and indicated the bank would share more details closer to that time.

In late June, Berkshire announced it would purchase First Choice Bancorp, based in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, in an all-stock deal valued around $111.7 million.