Photo Gallery: Community Celebrates Comerica Bank Grand Opening

During yesterday's ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Comerica Bank on Fair Oaks Avenue, community residents and business leaders celebrated history, cooperation and what they hope is a major step forward in the revitalization of the downtown business district.

At the event, John Lesak, a member of the city's Cultural Heritage Commission,  recalled how Comerica pitched initial renovation plans to the city more than two years ago.

Though those original plans didn't pass muster, Lesak said Comerica cooperated with both the heritage commission and the South Pasadena Preservation Foundation to develop a design that captured the historical essence of the 88-year-old building.

"We're so used to a fight, so it's nice to have some preservation cooperation," Lesak said.

Comerica Bank funded the entire renovation, while Lesak--along with Planning Commissioner Tony George (former member of the Design Review Board) and South Pasadena Preservation Foundation member Glen Duncan--oversaw the planning and construction details.

South Pasadena Mayor Richard Schneider presented a proclamation to Comerica Bank for "outstanding contribution to cultural heritage and commercial viability."

As he presented the certificate, Schneider referred to the 1960s modern remodeling of the bank, which saw it covered in blue tile, as an "obliteration."

Duncan, of the South Pas Preservation Foundation, said his group would honor Comerica for its work at the foundation's annual meeting in December.

Local residents and business owners at the event marveled at the transformation of the historic building, originally home to the South Pasadena branch of the Los Angeles Security Trust and Savings Bank.

"I love it," said Craig McNeese, who works at the offices of Pontrelli, Timour & Associates on Fair Oaks Avenue. "I like driving down Mission Street and seeing such a nice building. It's a blessing for the community."

The bank now features a stone façade with columns spanning its exterior walls along Fair Oaks Avenue and Mission Street.

Some South Pas residents shared nostalgic memories, and a few remembered tagging along with grandparents who used the bank in the 1960s, when it was known as Security Pacific National Bank.

Bianca Richards, who was born and raised in South Pasadena, said none of the walls in the current bank's lobby existed when her family banked there in the 1960s, and that there was a massive vault on its rear wall.

While the bank's interior went through a drastic change, Richards was impressed the authenticity of the exterior restoration.

"I think they really captured the flavor of the city," she said. "I hope other developers in the area follow their lead."

South Pasadena resident Malcolm McDuffie brought his original blue checking register, which had a closing balance of $212.94. He first opened an account at the bank with a $2 deposit in 1961. McDuffie was 5 years old at the time.

McDuffie's wife, Marie, said that every time she and her husband drove by the building--home to Gandell's Furniture from 1974 to 2009--he remarked "how that building used to be a bank."

Gladys Sevilla, Comerica Bank District Manager, thanked the community for attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"We did a good job, of bringing the building back to its roots," she said.

Sevilla also presented a $1,000 check to the South Pasadena Preservation Foundation, in thanks for the role they played in overseeing the renovation.

Comerica employee, James Huynh, who helped a young couple open a banking account as the ribbon cutting ceremony took place, said he felt fortunate to work in the recently renovated building.

"I'm glad [Comerica] put in the work to do the renovation. This is definitely a unique building," he said.