Chase Bank Expansion on Delancey Nearly Complete

It’s high time Chase bank completed the hostile corner takeover at Essex and Delancey. The onetime bodega at 111 Delancey had been a veritable dustbin for nearly a year in the wake of a neighborhood departure. As the former awning attested, this was the decades-old home of American Choice Deli. Not even updated signage could save the business.

As first reported here last summer, this Chase branch is annexing the space. The plywood sidewalk encasement arrived in mid-February, signaling the beginning of gut renovations, and quickly became a magnet for bills and graffiti. Signs inside the bank itself beg customers to “pardon the dust” during this construction period. But now we can see the fruits of their labor.

A section of the shed was dismantled earlier this week, revealing the updated facade. It’s what you would expect.  The former convenience store has become the ATM lobby and additional offices for the bank.

Meanwhile, of particular note is the ghost signage still visible on the Essex Street marquee.  After contractors pried the dated awning from the facade, the neighborhood was reminded of its Chinese grocery market forebear.