Other questions concern whether the FleetCenter, home of the Boston Bruins and Celtic will be renamed? FleetBoston chair and CEO Charles Gifford says it would be likely that the center's name would be changed to reflect the new corporate identity.

The new company will serve approximately 33 million consumer relationships and maintain offices in Boston and Bank of America's home base in Charlotte, NC. The company will have nearly 10% of the banking deposits in the US and have almost 5,700 retail banking offices, more than 16,500 ATMs. Gifford will serve as chairman of the board of directors of the merged company from Boston. Kenneth D. Lewis, currently chairman and CEO of Bank of America, will be CEO and will maintain his principal office in the combined company's headquarters in Charlotte.

Bank of American spokesperson Eloise Hale says that because the banks operated in different markets---FleetBoston was concentrated mostly in New England--there was not any overlap. In fact, she anticipates that no branches will be closed and that 150 branches will be added over the next year. The new Bank of America will also be a leading lender to small banking businesses in the nation--serving 30% of the businesses operating in its 29-state franchise.