Longboat Chase Bank branch officially open

After less than a year of construction, the new branch of JP Morgan Chase has opened at 545 Bay Isles Parkway.

Located in the Shoppes of Bay Isles, the new Chase branch is the 17th branch to be opened in the area. Construction on the 3,113 square-foot building began in March 2017.

While the bank officially opened in November, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on March 2.

Branch Manager Michael Smith said this branch is one of the more innovative ones. With two teller windows and three onsite ATMs, the technology helps the tellers build relationships with clients.

“It gives us the opportunity to work more in depth with the clients,” Smith said.

The branch also offers services such as investments, mortgages, auto insurance and loans. It is a private client location as well.  Some of the site ATMs offer various denominations so clients aren’t stuck with multiples of $20.

Smith said the location on Longboat Key has been busy so far. During the ribbon-cutting, various customers walked in for bank services, and Mary Jo Jones, a Chase Private Client representative, had eight appointments scheduled for the day.

Most of the clients, he said, are from up North and already have Chase accounts. The location at Bay Isles gives them a convenient spot to make bank transactions rather than having to drive off the Key to get to a branch.

The location is part of a branch expansion project for JP Morgan Chase. By 2019, the bank plans to have two more locations opened in the Sarasota area.

The branch is open from 9 a.m. to 5 pm. Mon.-Fri. An ATM is open 24 hours a day.