  Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 1909 Registered: 09-2007 |
You know on Woodward where the usual DIA advertisement is (next to the Filmore on Elizabeth and Woodward), today instead of that I saw a banner with Bank of America on it. I Only got a quick look, but it said something along the lines of "Sponsor of the MLB." Interestingly enough (I may have read this wrong), but it also said below that "Coming to Detroit." I am correct? Have they made their decision to move downtown with Quicken? (Message edited by detroitrise on April 04, 2008) | ||
Mwilbert Member Username: Mwilbert Post Number: 174 Registered: 11-2007 |
I don't know, but I suspect it means that since they bought LaSalle bank a year or so ago, they will now start rebranding the LaSalle branches as Bank of America. Which will be good for Bank of America customers in Detroit, because I think the nearest one now is way out Gratiot. | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1605 Registered: 11-2003 |
What does BOA have to do with Quicken? Are we tying projects together again? I'll be glad when I deposit money into my BOA account in MICHIGAN! You can't even do it at LaSalle at this point. It's a pain in the ass. It's about time we have a NATIONAL bank outside of Chase in the area! | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 5001 Registered: 12-2005 |
By the title of this thread I thought the banner was banned.  Now I see it should have read "Bank of America MLB Banner." | ||
Hudkina Member Username: Hudkina Post Number: 164 Registered: 12-2004 |
I believe they just meant that they are "coming to Detroit" in the sense that the company is going to start operating in the Greater Detroit area, not necessarily that they are going to move their regional headquarters downtown. | ||
Greatlakes Member Username: Greatlakes Post Number: 170 Registered: 07-2007 |
For what it's worth, they namedrop Campus Martius Park and don't seem to mind simply referring to the greater Detroit area as just Detroit in this promo: http://www.bankofamerica.com/p romos/jump/online_banking_detr oit/ | ||
Hudkina Member Username: Hudkina Post Number: 165 Registered: 12-2004 |
Most people outside of this area don't know the difference between Campus Martius Park and Sterling Heights, so it all is "Detroit" to them. | ||
Fastcarsfreedom Member Username: Fastcarsfreedom Post Number: 278 Registered: 11-2005 |
At the very least we know they'll have the best looking branch in downtown Detroit once they patch over the LaSalle branch in the Guardian. | ||
Anniedawg25 Member Username: Anniedawg25 Post Number: 13 Registered: 02-2008 |
I currently have a Bank of America acct (moved here from New Mexico) and they will be taking over all the LaSalle banks here....I was told it would happen in April and sure enough, the first of the month I noticed the radio and tv ads, and have seen some Bank of Amer. signs going up in place of LaSalle. I dont know how long the whole process will take though. | ||
Fastcarsfreedom Member Username: Fastcarsfreedom Post Number: 280 Registered: 11-2005 |
Indeed Anniedawg25, I noticed on the way home from the Tigers game that the LaSalle ATM inside the Fox Theater had a temporary Bank of America shrink-wrap. LaSalle's stay here was brief--Michigan National begat Standard Federal begat LaSalle...now B of A--all within 10 or so years. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 1918 Registered: 09-2007 |
Thanks Anniedawg25. Yeah, the bank consolidations sure did hit SE Michigan hard during the 00s. | ||
Tayllik Member Username: Tayllik Post Number: 5 Registered: 11-2007 |
This from Detroit Free Press October 2, 2007 "Bank of America, which on Monday completed the acquisition that makes it Michigan's largest bank in terms of deposits, is already in discussions with Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick about possibly moving its regional headquarters from Troy to downtown Detroit, the Free Press has learned. Kenneth Lewis, chairman and CEO of Bank of America, will meet today with Kilpatrick and pledge a $1-million donation to the mayor's Next Detroit Neighborhood Initiative" I Don't Know if this is still gonna happen? I have heard nothing since this article was printed. | ||
Fastcarsfreedom Member Username: Fastcarsfreedom Post Number: 281 Registered: 11-2005 |
Tayllik--there was some 'talk' around the time that ABN AMRO unloaded LaSalle on Bank of America. The office in Troy is the HQ of LaSalle Bank Midwest--essentially what was once Standard Federal. It occupies the former Michigan National Bank HQ on Big Beaver--the building with the large fountain next to Somerset North. Bank of America has made some noise in the past about favoring inner-city locales over suburban areas--but the truth is, no one is sure of Bank of America's long term plans when it comes to it's regional operations...because LaSalle essentially existed in two parts--one based in Chitown, and the other in Troy. | ||
Ddmoore54 Member Username: Ddmoore54 Post Number: 343 Registered: 07-2004 |
Standard Federal was bought by ABN AMRO (a dutch bank) in 1996, and then absorbed Michigan National which had just previously been acquired by ABN AMRO. AMRO also owned LaSalle Bank, the major Chicago bank and rebranded all its midwest banks under the name LaSalle in 2005. The HQ you are referring to next to Somerset was built for Standard Federal, not Michigan National. The sale of LaSalle to BoA caused quite a bit of controversy and was challenged in the Dutch courts since ABN did not weigh all offers as the Bank of Scotland offered more money than BoA. However, they ruled in BoA's favor, and starting in May all current LaSalle's will be rebranded. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 2964 Registered: 04-2006 |
I'd imagine that all negotiations of bringing more corporate presence to Detroit proper are frozen in light of the mayor's legal troubles. | ||
Fastcarsfreedom Member Username: Fastcarsfreedom Post Number: 283 Registered: 11-2005 |
Thanks Ddmoore--I got my wires crossed regarding Standard Federal and Michigan National. For whatever reason I thought at one time that the Troy HQ was occupied by MNB. So the other offer was from RBS--aka CharterOne? | ||
Tkelly1986 Member Username: Tkelly1986 Post Number: 452 Registered: 01-2004 |
Would anyone know how many people work at the current LaSalle midwest HQ? | ||
Fastcarsfreedom Member Username: Fastcarsfreedom Post Number: 286 Registered: 11-2005 |
No idea Tkelly1986--I know there has been a steady draw down of staff there since it's peak in the 1990s. I did notice the patch over in full swing--I noticed the LaSalle branch in GPP has full Bank of America signage now--just covered up by temporary LaSalle banners. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 1927 Registered: 09-2007 |
Yeah Fastcarsfreedom, I noticed that on the LaSalle Branch on Mack and Anatole (Warren). It's what they did when NBD switched over to BankOne. Also, most CVS locations have "Bank of America" ATMs now.  | ||
Fastcarsfreedom Member Username: Fastcarsfreedom Post Number: 288 Registered: 11-2005 |
Yes Detroitrise--at least NBD's local legacy lives on in the form of the cheesegrater. I recall just prior to the BankOne takeover they insisted on starting to call it NBD Bank--a silly repetition. You'll note Comerica, in it's quest to expand into areas of the country that have no idea what it is, has begun to do this also. The addition of "Bank" in the trapezoid has almost taken it all the way back to the Manufacturers era. | ||
Lifeinmontage Member Username: Lifeinmontage Post Number: 95 Registered: 10-2007 |
from the B of A website posted above: "Whether you’re shopping for the latest looks in Sterling Heights or spending the day at Campus Martius Park – it really doesn’t matter." do the latest looks come from sterling heights? man, metro detroit has let itself go. as for the frustration of accessing B of A accounts at lasalle branches, i had the same frustration for months after chase bought bank one. i was so excited when i returned to detroit that i could access the account i opened at school, yet by the time they combined systems, i no longer used my chase account. good luck with the april deadline B of A estimates. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 6635 Registered: 08-2004 |
Fastcars... just before the BancOne merger it was called "First Chicago NBD". | ||
Hudkina Member Username: Hudkina Post Number: 169 Registered: 12-2004 |
I know. What's in Sterling Heights? Lakeside Mall? | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 2442 Registered: 10-2006 |
"Whether you’re shopping for the latest looks in Sterling Heights or spending the day at Campus Martius Park – it really doesn’t matter. Just grab your laptop, find a hot spot, and connect to our online bank in Detroit." http://www.bankofamerica.com/p romos/jump/online_banking_detr oit/ "Most people outside of this area don't know the difference between Campus Martius Park and Sterling Heights, so it all is "Detroit" to them." Hey, at least they mention Campus Martius! They are at least trying to recognize one of the metro area highlights. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 2978 Registered: 04-2006 |
quote: According to those links posted above their customer service center is in Sterling Heights. | ||
Fastcarsfreedom Member Username: Fastcarsfreedom Post Number: 291 Registered: 11-2005 |
I do remember the First Chicago NBD era--most of the NBD branches outside of Michigan switched to the First Chicago name, while those locally remained NBD (including two in Windsor)...but at the end, in some strange exercise in branding they began saying "NBD Bank"--couldn't help but extend that out in my head to "National Bank of Detroit Bank"--branding is a strange exercise. BankOne. To One. <--- a painful slogan. | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 1930 Registered: 09-2007 |
Yeah Fastcarsfreedom, I was thinking the same thing about "National Bank of Detroit Bank." What was the point in doing that? The worst part is, Detroit doens't have a bank headquarters in the CBD and Metro Detroit is running out of bank headquarters with these mergers.  I remember hearing/reading Detroit (Downtown) used to have one of the top financial districts in the country (if not world). | ||
Fastcarsfreedom Member Username: Fastcarsfreedom Post Number: 292 Registered: 11-2005 |
Detroitrise--it's not that long ago that you could count Comerica/DB&T, Manufacturers, NBD, Michigan National, etc. This is one trend, however, in which Detroit is not alone. In a quickly consolidating industry, many major cities find themselves in Detroit's spot--once major banking centers now suddenly without a 'local' bank, or banks. One hopes sincerely that behind-the-scenes work is going on to make sure that Comerica's still major presence remains here--and onward work will remain to be done once Comerica is back in play in the consolidation game. The talk is certainly hot and heavy currently in Cleveland where National City appears to be in play--and losing a major bank headquarters seems inevitable--even if the sale is to Key, which at least is itself local (thanks to pulling up stakes and moving from New York State when it bought Society)--everyone of these stories is a confusing litany of mergers, name changes, reverse name changes and relocations. (Message edited by fastcarsfreedom on April 09, 2008) |
