Grand Prix Community Partner Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Michigan to receive $10,000 Donation from Comerica Bank and Comerica Charitable Foundation
DETROIT, May 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Comerica Bank officially unveiled today the newly renovated Jefferson-Chene Banking Center to complement the excitement of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear‘s return to the streets of downtown Detroit and the event’s commitment to the City of Detroit.
To further Comerica’s support of youth empowerment and workforce development initiatives and as part of the grand re-opening, Comerica Bank and the Comerica Charitable Foundation is donating $10,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Michigan (BGCSM), one of the organizations supported by the Grand Prix’s charitable efforts.
“Our commitment to Detroit continues to grow through relationships with our customers and investments with our impactful community partners,” said Steve Davis, Comerica Bank Michigan Market President. “With the Grand Prix returning to the streets this year, we prioritized our reinvestment into the Jefferson-Chene location, which is just blocks from the course. The new design improves customer experiences and beautifies the neighborhood and surrounding business district, while also contributing to the overall growth and revitalization of downtown Detroit.”
As the Detroit Grand Prix returns to the streets of Detroit this year and strengthens its investment into the City of Detroit, Comerica has reinvested in its Jefferson-Chene location with a full exterior and interior renovation.
The renovations feature an open layout with clear sightlines to welcome customers, and multiple areas in which customers can have comfortable conversations with the banking center team. Other additions include new furniture, digital messaging displays, and updated signage and color scheme to reflect Comerica’s new brand elements.
Comerica continues to evolve its banking center model and streamline the customer experience by integrating opportunities for more consultative, advisory and educational interactions between the community and banking center team.
“Our relationship with the Grand Prix not only provides fans access to one of auto racing’s great venues and experiences, but we also want to ensure that we present unique educational opportunities to enrich the lives of local students,” continued Davis.
On May 4, BGCSM students displayed eight art murals created for the Grand Prix’s trackside. The digitally-designed murals feature themes to honor communities across Detroit, the spirit of the Motor City and the return of the Grand Prix to its original home on the downtown streets of Detroit this summer for the first time since 1991.
In March, Comerica teamed up with the Detroit Lions and United Way as part of the annual Hometown Huddle community outreach initiative that included a book drive and a number of improvement projects at the BGCSM Dick & Sandy Dauch Club in Detroit. Volunteers helped transform the Flexible Room & Mentally Fit Room with a complete makeover that included painting, assembling furniture, and organizing materials for the two rooms. Additionally, the collaboration also included compiling Self-Empowerment kits for the children.
This year marks the 10th year Comerica has supported the Grand Prix’s Free Prix Day that provides fans the opportunity to experience all the racing, activities and excitement of the Grand Prix. The return of Comerica Bank Free Prix Day, which takes place Friday, June 2, extends the tradition that began with the inaugural Grand Prix event held on the Streets of Downtown Detroit. Since that first event in 1982, each year that the Grand Prix has been hosted in Detroit has featured free access for fans on the first day of on-track action, in a tradition that has become truly unique to the Motor City.
On Comerica Bank Free Prix Day, fans will be able to watch the on-track action in grandstands 1 and 9 free of charge. Seating in these two grandstands will be general admission and available on a first-come, first-seated basis. No tickets will be required to sit in either grandstand on Free Prix Day, courtesy of Comerica Bank.
Comerica Bank Free Prix Day also impacts local students through career conversations and engagements focused on STEM as it introduced students to the world of auto racing. In April, the Grand Prix and Comerica hosted over 500 students virtually and connected them to three-time W Series Champion (women’s international racing series) and current INDY NXT by Firestone driver for Andretti Autosport Jamie Chadwick and USF Pro 2000 presented by Cooper Tires championship leader Myles Rowe of Pabst Racing who competes under the minority-led Force Indy race team. The students learned about running a race team from Force Indy team principal Rod Reid, who discussed Nexgeneracers (NXG) karting and life skills youth development program that expanded to Detroit in 2021 and continues to grow locally.
Comerica will also be hosting students on a special field trip and behind the scenes tour of the Grand Prix on Comerica Bank Free Prix Day.
Comerica’s Jefferson-Chene banking center is one of 19 locations serving Detroit – the most among all banks.
Comerica has made several investments in Detroit’s business districts and neighborhoods over that past five years. In 2018, Comerica opened its Penobscot location at the corner of Fort St. and Griswold. The following year, Comerica constructed the bank’s W. Grand Blvd banking center in Detroit’s New Center business district, a process that first began in 2017 when Comerica sold its West Grand Boulevard-Sterling property to Henry Ford Health (HFH) to help pave the way for a new cancer center (Comerica donated $100,000 to HFH). In 2020, Comerica opened Orchestra Place, located at corner of Woodward Ave. and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. In addition to Jefferson-Chene, Comerica is currently updating Eight Mile-Huntington and Grand River-Outer Drive.
Comerica Bank, a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated, has served Michigan longer than any other bank with a continuous presence dating back nearly 173 years to its Detroit founding in 1849. It is the largest bank employer in metro Detroit and has approximately 4,500 employees (FTE) statewide. With one of the largest banking center networks in Michigan, Comerica nurtures lifelong relationships with unwavering integrity and financial prudence. Comerica positively impacts the lives of Michigan residents by helping customers be successful, providing financial support that assists hundreds of charitable organizations, and actively participating in Detroit’s downtown revitalization. Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA) is a financial services company strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Comerica, Twitter: @ComericaBank and Instagram: @comerica_bank. Download new Comerica Bank corporate logo.
SOURCE Comerica Bank
