(Image: King County)
First Hill is losing a bank. The Bank of America at Madison and Minor is slated to close to start 2025, the global financial giant is telling customers.
In an automated message to bankers, B of A says the closure is planned for January 2025.
A check of city and county records show no changes in ownership and no redevelopment activity for the 1970s-built, one-story commercial building owned by Swedish.
CHS has reached out to Bank of America to learn more.
The closure comes amid a general downsizing in the banking industry in favor of smaller, easier to open and staff “financial centers.” Other area closures recently include the Chase banking space at Broadway and Pike. On First Hill, Key Bank, for now, continues to maintain an old school bank across the street along Madison.
It also comes just as Madison is finally moving out of years of construction to open the RapidRide G bus route with 6-minute peak service connecting downtown to Madison Valley across First Hill and Capitol Hill.
The First Hill Bank of America has a car-friendly feature boastin a “drive-thru” ATM.
The 1300 E Madison B of A (Image: Bank of America)
B of A is directing customers its two nearby locations on Capitol Hill including the 1300 E Madison stand-alone Bank of America on property that has been considered a likely eventual target for redevelopment. That 1963 bank would likely need to pass through a round of Seattle’s landmark process before any demolition. In the meantime, it appears B of A is planning to stick with the old building for the time being.
On Broadway, the old Bank of America at the intersection with Thomas was rejected as a landmark during the process to redevelop the block as The Lyric, the 234-unit mixed-use building that opened in 2012. The Lyric included a street-level new space where Bank of America returned and continues to operate.
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Hopefully they will at least keep the atm or have one in the area.
There’s an ATM at the Chase Bank across the street.
We need it to be housing…
Another boba tea shop!
Boba Korean Fried chicken fusion coming soon
With a Korean Fried Chicken popup!
The racism in this board is astonishing
I think that’s less about racism and more about the fact that boba shops, Korean fried chicken shops, and dentists seem to be the main things opening on the hill these days…
And nothing of value was lost.,.
I am trying to understand why any of these old bank buildings would be considered landmarks? Neither the Broadway and Thomas nor the Madison and 13th buildings have (had) any obvious appeal or historical value. They are (were) just old, ugly one story business buildings surrounded by a parking lot. Strange they would need to pass through landmark review prior to any development.
Landmarks board uses this as an attempt to block housing. That’s the only thing.
Oftentimes an owner will go thru landmarks board to get a denial on purpose — so in a sale or major redevelopment, there is no worry that the property will be declared a landmark and have its uses limited.
Seattle loves to consider anything and everything for historic preservation. It literally makes these people quiver in their undies unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
Not that I think the bank building in question is anything special – but… You’re nuts… this city tears down things that would be historic in other places all of the time. Also, landmark status doesn’t even automatically confer any protection here – you can often tear landmark buildings down, no problem, no questions.
Quietly waiting for the weirdly enormous Key Bank on 15th to close.
I hope they knock it down. The building makes the sidewalk on Madison so narrow there by the ATM, like maybe less than two feet wide. It’s way too narrow for an area with so much foot traffic.