Chase Bank investing $3M in new Bowling Green branch

Chase Bank, the consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co., a global financial services firm, is opening a new 2,800 square foot branch in downtown Bowling Green. According to industry sources, the bank is investing $3 million for the new branch and it will be located at the former Jed’s site on the corner of South Main and East Wooster Streets.

Chase Bank signed a lease with owner Bob Maurer for the property and is renovating the space.

Jeremy Young, Chase’s market director of banking for Ohio, said, “What we love about this location is it’s right in the heart of the campus, and you think about the whys – many of our clients and prospects bank in various ways. What we’re excited about is the ability to have those moms and dads who bring the students to Bowling Green to have access to a Chase location, to have a sense of community, and to have a sense of a branch. We’re thrilled to serve the local community with a full-service branch including home-lending solutions, business banking, wealth management, personal banking, credit cards, auto financing, and investment advice, so we’re excited to take the old Jed’s and turn it into the next chapter with our local community here. We’re proud to be part of the local community, and especially with this particular location to service and serve the students, parents and local residents.”

According to Young, Chase identified a need for a presence in this area. The bank’s data has shown that some of its clients and potential clients in Ohio attend Bowling Green State University (BGSU), as well as bank in the area up and down I-75 and western Ohio, showing a need for a new branch.

“We know that we can reach our clients across the country with our digital capabilities, including providing mortgages and credit cards, but branches are still a critical part of the banking experience. We like to deliver our banking offerings through various channels, but we know that customers like to also visit a branch for advice, assistance, or help planning for their future, and so I think that’s the biggest need, putting physical presence where our bankers can engage with their clients and with new prospects,” said Young.

The location will feature the most updated fixtures, furniture, and technology to ensure that customers can engage across a wide-range of channels. The branch will also feature a walk-up ATM, a desk for the ATM, as well as bankers, tellers, regular team members, along with Chase Bank branding and awnings on the storefront, noted Young.

“Sometimes there’s a chance to have a blank slate. This is a rare opportunity where we’re going to be part of the community in an establishment that was there before that already had a great storefront,” said Young. “We’re making sure it looks and feels like a Chase Bank, but also reflects the unique identify of Bowling Green when you walk in. It’s going to be very inviting, with elements of traditional banking in terms of fixtures and furniture, but also elements of what students and the community would expect on a college campus.”

“There will be multiple ways that our employees can interact with customers, as well as with our most updated features in terms of ATMs and 24-hour banking. As a firm, we’re very focused on continuously adding new technology that make banking easier for customers. Recently, we rolled out functionality that allows you to use your digital wallet to access the ATM. We’re rolling this out across the country, and you’ll see it here in Bowling Green as well,” said Young. “What we’re excited about is when you think about our commitment to the small business world, you think about access to capital, you think about what the folks who have various products with us that probably didn’t bank with us, I think there’s going to be an element of convenience by adding a branch. That will definitely be a big win for the community.”

The bank is expected to open sometime in the fourth quarter, noted Young.

“What’s really driving this is the need and the opportunity to best serve the local community and we look forward to opening this branch and looking at other areas that we can continue to tell our story and best serve customers throughout the Ohio region,” concluded Young.