Chase Bank is closing two of its walk-in branches in Tucson, including the historic bank building downtown at 2 E. Congress St.
The downtown branch, in the lobby of the historic Valley National Bank building built in 1929, closed on Wednesday Dec. 6, while the Chase branch at 2465 N. Campbell Ave. is set to close Friday, Dec. 15.
A JPMorgan Chase spokeswoman said the branch closures, which include ATMs at the sites, are part of its ongoing adjustment to branches to better utilize bank resources and serve customers.
“We consolidated these locations into a bigger location so we could better serve our customers and deliver what they need,” Chase spokeswoman Vivian Padilla said, adding that affected employees will be moved to other branches.
“Sometimes we relocate a branch when another is nearby, or foot traffic is low. This allows us to provide a strong, successful branch network that can serve our community for the long-term.”
Padilla said Tucson remains an important market for Chase, and the bank continues to open new branches in high-growth or underserved areas, noting that Chase still has about 30 branches in the greater Tucson metro area.
Most branch closures are within 2 miles of the nearest office, she said.
The nearest Chase branch to the closed downtown office, as well as the branch on North Campbell, is on the University of Arizona campus at 947 N. Park Ave.
Chase also has a branch at 4398 N. Campbell Ave., at East River Road, about 2¼ miles north of the Campbell branch closing this week.
Major banks, including Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo have increased their net branch closures in recent years as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a move away from in-person banking to online services.
Wells Fargo closed its downtown Tucson branch at 150 N. Stone Ave. in February.
The closures leave downtown Tucson with just two walk-in bank branches, operated by PNC Bank and National Bank of Arizona, though there are several ATMs in the area.
Built in the 1920s, the Valley National Bank building sits in the heart of downtown Tucson. With its unique architecture, the bank has been through lots of changes and is currently the Chase Bank building. Video by Pascal Albright/ Arizona Daily Star
