As long as anyone remembers, the building at 601 Hope St. was a bank. Before it became the Bank of America in 1998, it was Fleet; before it became Fleet in 1982, it was the Industrial National Bank, which was founded as the Industrial Trust Company by Samuel P. Colt in 1886.

Bank of America closed its branch in mid-July, and now the building’s next life is up to the highest bidder.

The company marketing the property is CRBE, a large, international commercial real estate firm. The website that markets the property, BankingCentersForSale.com, speaks volumes about why it’s available in the first place. This site is marketing dozens of former bank properties across the country; two in Rhode Island alone. It reflects a clear national trend away from the downtown, bricks-and-mortar banking center.

According to Trevor Koenig, BOA corporate communications, who spoke at the time of the closing, “Our clients increasingly prefer to do their everyday banking via their mobile device or online.”

At the time, Mr. Koenig had no comment about the future of the 601 Hope St. building.

The materials accessible on the website include everything an investor needs to submit a bid, including images, floor plans, the results of asbestos, lead, and other inspections, terms and conditions, and a purchase and sales agreement. Online site plans show parking, and demographic research lets potential buyers know what kind of market they’ll be entering.

The property is being offered on an “as is” basis. Missing from the package is any indication of what CRBE hopes the property might sell for; listing agent Paul Grossman was unable to be reached for comment.