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Chase gets OK to demolish Santa Rita shopping center for new bank
Work could start late this spring, forcing retailers, others in center to move

by Jeb Bing

The Pleasanton Planning Commission has approved a bid by J.P. Morgan Chase to tear down the aging Santa Rita Junction Shopping Center and to replace it with a new Chase Bank.

The shopping center, marked by an historic tall flagpole that used to help motorists on old Highway 50 find the Pleasanton exit, now serves a number of small retailers and service businesses. These include a flower shop, nail salon, photo studio and supply store, and medical, real estate and insurance offices.

Those businesses expect to receive eviction notices shortly with Chase planning to demolish the two buildings that occupy nearly 12,000 square feet of the shopping center site.

The new bank will be Chase's fourth in Pleasanton with other Chase banking locations now on Main Street, Stoneridge Mall Road, Hopyard Road and with an ATM machine in the CVS Pharmacy in the Rosewood Pavilion.

The new bank site will include a 3,431-square-foot building, a detached drive-through banking facility and 32 parking spaces. A one-lane drive-through facility will include an ATM machine and banking services.

The site is across from ValleyCare Medical Center.

The Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the Chase Bank plan with no one appearing at a public hearing to oppose the plan. Unless the decision is appealed, the commission's decision becomes effective in 30 days.

Posted by norm, a resident of the Jensen Tract neighborhood, on Feb 22, 2013 at 4:53 pm

Chase destroys more lives and throws out more hard working people. Just like they did with homes they foreclosed on.

Wonder how much the planning commission got in kick-backs.

Posted by really??, a resident of the Amberwood/Wood Meadows neighborhood, on Feb 22, 2013 at 6:13 pm

oh please. . .did you attend the hearing. . .did you write a letter--no then how can you complain?

Posted by Another one?, a resident of the Another Pleasanton neighborhood neighborhood, on Feb 25, 2013 at 9:58 am

Is there a reason why we "need" so many banks in Pleasanton? It seems that they're taking over all the spaces where tangible goods and services were previously offered. I don't understand how this benefits the local economy-- people don't utilize bank services on a regular basis and Chase already has multiple branches in the area.

Posted by Concerned, a resident of the Country Fair neighborhood, on Feb 25, 2013 at 11:53 am

I don't understand how this is good city planning.

There are eyesore vacancies right down the street (TGI Fridays building for one) yet our city officials felt it a good idea to to approve this which forces 7 mom and pop businesses that thrive in this location to close or relocate? What gives Pleasanton ? Where is the outrage?

I didn't attend the public hearing - but should we have even needed one? This should have been outright regected and never given the time if day by our planning commission.