Coffee, sculptures and financial advice. Banks try to make new branches less intimidating

NEW YORK — It’s like Sephora or Starbucks now offered a checking account. After years of closing or mostly neglecting physical bank branches across the U.S., the nation’s largest banks are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on refurbishing old locations or building new ones, and in the process changing the look, feel and purpose of the local bank branch. We’re now creating these spaces so everyone can feel welcome,” said Diedra Porché, the head of community and business development of consumer banking at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Porche heads a team of 150 employees who work at what JPMorgan now calls “community centers,” which are larger branches that have areas for non-profits to do presentations to local residents and provide workshops to those seeking advice. Some banks are even building new branches in unique locations that do not initially scream “this should be a bank.” Bank of America, for example, brought in Rebekah Sigfrids from Sephora and Victoria’s Secret as its first in-house designer for branches instead of using traditional third-party contractors. What about if you’re going to be in downtown Manhattan, or Seattle or what if you’re in Texas?” JPMorgan Chase has opened nearly 20 of what it now calls “community centers.” These are larger branches placed in low-and-moderate income neighborhoods designed to provide more comprehensive services to typically lower-income Chase customers.