Rally to stop Chase bank closure
Branch is the only location in southern Riverdale; serves many elderly
BY JASON COHEN
The fi ght for southern Riverdale’s
only bank continued last
week as community members
and elected offi cials rallied
outside of the Chase branch at
Knolls Crescent.
On Oct. 15, residents were
joined by Assemblyman Jeffrey
Dinowitz, Councilman
Andrew Cohen and members
of Community Board 8 as they
protested the planned closure.
The shuttering of the Chase
branch at 13B Knolls Crescent
would mean that residents
have to travel by bus, car or
walk on large hills to use banking
services. The closest Chase
locations to Knolls Crescent
are at least 20 minutes away
by foot.
However, southern Riverdale
has a higher than average
percentage of residents who
are likely to have limited mobility
including seniors and
families with strollers.
“How many of you know
how to use mobile banking?”
said Carol Ann Baker, whose
mother Margaret is 95 and a
Chase customer. “They need
this live branch to go into. This
bank is necessary for the community.
It is unconscionable for
Chase to close this branch.”
She stressed that if the company
wants to shutter a location,
they should consider one
in Manhattan where there are
more Chase branches and more
millennials who are likely familiar
with mobile banking.
Baker, who was quite emotional
when speaking, said
this isn’t just about banking.
Many of the employees at the
branch know the seniors on a
personal level and work to help
them and make sure they are
doing OK.
Resident Marion Friedman
found out about the planned closure
a few weeks ago when her
son, who is blind, got a letter in
the mail. She was shocked and
could not believe Chase was really
going through with their
decision.
She urged the crowd to take
their money out of Chase in
the event that another bank
replaces Chase.
AVOID THE LINES VOTE EARLY
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,18 OCTOBER 23-29, 2020 BTR
“As soon as I got the letter, I
called Jeffrey Dinowitz’s offi ce
and I told him what was going
on,” she said.
Dinowitz, Cohen and Eric
Dinowitz, the chair of the aging
committee for CB8, have all
been fi ghting to keep it open.
In a recent phone call between
Assemblyman Dinowitz and
representatives from Chase,
the bank did not cite branch
underperformance or lease issues
as part of their decision.
The offi cials said that they
did not understand how a business
that made $115 billion last
year can claim the branch was
not profi table.
“If any executives from
Chase want to join me on a
tour of the neighborhood, I
would be happy to show them
exactly what they are asking
our community to do,” the assemblyman
said. “There’s still
time for Chase to be the hero
here, and I urge them to reconsider
this ill-advised decision.
We want them to change their
mind. We want them to do the
right thing.”
Eric Dinowitz said it was
clear Chase did not understand
the demographics of Riverdale,
which is primarily a
senior community.
He has sent a letter to Chase
and has a petition going around
town in response to the bank’s
decision to close.
“Chase Bank very clearly
does not care about your independence,”
he said. “We’re
asking Chase Bank to keep
this branch open.”
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz speaks about Chase Bank .
Photos by Jason Cohen
VOTE SAFE NYC
OCTOBER 24, 2020 THROUGH NOV 1, 2020
Go to findmypollsite.vote.nyc to find your
assigned early voting site and hours
Board of Elections
City of New York
10/24
10AM-4PM
10/25
10AM-4PM
10/26
7AM-3PM
10/27
12PM-8PM
10/28
12PM-8PM
10/29
10AM-6PM
10/30
7AM-3PM
10/31
10AM-4PM
11/1
10AM-4PM
11/3
6AM-9PM
ELECTION
DAY