Urban Partnership Bank to close 3 branches

Next month Urban Partnership Bank, 7054 S. Jeffery Blvd., will close two South Side branches and one on the West Side.

The branches are located at 4659 S. Cottage Grove Ave. in the Kenwood community and 3401 S. King Drive in the Bronzeville community, and a loan office at 5100 W. Harrison St. in the Austin community.

But bank officials said it plans to open new branches close by the closing locations.

“In an effort to better serve our customers we need branches that are more accessible to new technology and these three branches do not provide that opportunity,” Brian Berg, a spokesman for UPB, told the Defender. “It is our goal to open new locations before or shortly after the closings.”

He added that if new branches do not open prior to the closings a temporary branch would be open for customers to use until a permanent branch is available.

UPB, formerly ShoreBank, is a Chicago-based community bank, which primarily services underserved and economically depressed communities.

Copyright 2011 Chicago Defender