Bank Of America Closing 1 Brick Branch Permanently

BRICK, NJ — Brick residents who do their banking at Bank of America will have one branch in town to do business, as the company is closing one of its branches permanently.

The Bank of America on Chambers Bridge Road will formally cease operations as of March 15, according to a notice on the webpage for that branch. Customers who have safe deposit boxes need to contact the bank to make arrangements to retrieve their property.

While that Brick Township branch is closing, the Brick Boulevard location, which currently is closed, is anticipated to be reopening, though exactly when is unclear, said Jerry Dubrowski, senior vice president of corporate communications for Bank of America.

Dubrowski said the closure of the Chambers Bridge Road branch was a result of continuing change in how customers conduct their business, with more people doing their banking digitally, and the result of customers using nearby branches to do their in-person business.

"When we decide to close a financial center we take many factors into consideration, including the impact it will have on our customers and the towns in which we operate," he said. "We are constantly evaluating our network to determine the best way to serve the needs of our customers and communities."

Dubrowski said the closure of the Chambers Bridge Road branch means banking may be less convenient for some customers, "but our decision to consolidate locations is aimed at ensuring we have the right balance of physical and digital capabilities for all of our clients and that we can continue to invest in our financial center network over time."

The Brick Boulevard location was renovated this year, as was the Jackson branch, and renovations at the Route 70 west branch in Lakewood is anticipated to be finished within a few weeks. The Howell branch is expected to be finished in July, Dubrowski said.

"These updated financial centers will offer industry-leading banking and investment services to the community," he said.

Dubrowski said he did not have information on the cause of temporary closures at the Brick Boulevard branch and one at the Route 37 branch in Toms River, and did not know if they were related to COVID-19 issues or simply a reflection of staffing challenges that have affected other Bank of America branches. He did not have information on when they would reopen, but said there are other branches open nearby for those who need in-person banking services.

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