CHATHAM — Shoppers going to the Chatham Market Mall now have another bank to use for their financial needs.
BMO Harris Bank opened a 2,174 square-foot branch on Dec. 30 at the strip mall anchored by Walmart at 8300 S. Holland Road. The new financial services center will "surely help attract more business to the area," said Ald. Howard Brookins (21st), whose ward includes the mall.
The full-service branch has five employees, said Alexis Brown, a spokeswoman for BMO Harris Bank.
"We are planning a grand opening with the community within the next couple of months," she said.
In February, BMO Harris Bank closed its Englewood branch at 6506 S. Western Ave. But "at this time, we don’t have any plans to close any additional branches in this area," Brown said.
Across the street from the new BMO Harris branch is a Bank of America branch, and construction is underway on a Chase Bank branch adjacent to Harris, Brookins said.
"Now with Harris opening up I think we have every bank located in the 21st Ward except Citibank," Brookins said. "Banks want to be near retail and that is why I fought so hard to get a Walmart store in my ward."
BMO Harris Bank opened a Chatham branch because "this is a community we wanted to provide more banking options to and this location was a good option for us," Brown said. "At this time, we don’t have any specific plans for additional openings, but we are continually looking for opportunities to further serve customers throughout the Chicago area."
In addition to the new banks, Brookins said a developer plans to build a 62-room hotel around the corner from the mall that would be used mainly by traveling railroad engineers.
