Manchester’s Comerica Bank office to close, along with four other nearby branches

Manchester’s Comerica branch located on the corner of Main Street and Adrian Street is set to close on April 24, 2025. Photo by Sara Swanson.

by Marsha Chartrand

In a surprise announcement last week, Comerica Bank in Manchester revealed that their last day for serving clients in the community will be April 24.

Cindy Clark, a Manchester resident, has managed the branch office here for many years. She confirmed the closing to the Mirror on Friday. Though she was unable to give specific details, she did say the closing was a “sensitive issue that was surprise to all the staff” and referred the paper to Matt Barnhart in Corporate Communications and Marketing for further comment.

Comerica is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. A corporate strategy directed the decision to close smaller banking centers, affecting local banks in Saline, Clinton, Brooklyn, and Grass Lake, in addition to Manchester.

A corporate communications release from Comerica Bank was received early Monday from Barnhart. It states, in part, “We continually review our banking center network in the context of all customer-facing channels to strategically engage customers in the communities we serve based on population, evolving customer needs, and industry trends. We close or consolidate locations where demand for in-person banking is not as prevalent and customer needs can be effectively met at nearby locations or by mobile, ATM, and phone banking. This best practice allows us to invest in growth and customer experience across customer-facing channels.”

“The bank on the corner,” Union Savings Bank, was originally established by local businessmen in 1894, and governed by a local board of directors. A contentious board takeover in 1976 followed by a murder case in Manchester and a lawsuit filed against the bank by a former officer led to its decline over the next few years. The bank was eventually sold in 1981 to National Bank of Jackson, which was then taken over by Comerica a few years later.

So now, what’s next? The Village Manager, Michael Sessions, has acknowledged that he is reaching out to other area banks and businesses to help building owner Ron Milkey find a new tenant for the lower level of the three-story building, which houses several businesses on the second floor and the Manchester Masonic Lodge, which has historically occupied the third floor.

“We are saddened by the restructuring of Comerica Bank in smaller markets,” Sessions said. “This loss does leave a void in our downtown; however, our team is committed to working to recruit another bank to the community to fill this void.”

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.