Taco Shop on Jackson Drive Getting Neighbor at Last: Comerica Bank

A weed-strewn lot on Jackson Drive that once hosted a gas station will be the site of the 15th Comerica Bank in the county by the end of the year, the company says.

Called the La Mesa-Grossmont Bank Center, the branch will be in the 5400 block of Jackson Drive south of the Rigoberto’s Taco Shop (a former Taco Bell) at Parkway Drive. The bank lot, now fenced, exceeds 23,000 square feet,  said Nancy Tovar Huxen, a bank spokeswoman based in El Segundo.

She said no banking center manager has been hired yet.

 “The location of the new banking center was based on a few items, including its location within the Comerica network, the proximity to customers and businesses, and the site itself, which includes ample parking and visibility,” Tovar Huxen said. “The selection was done without incentive from the city.”

La Mesa’s closest Comerica branch now is in Mission Valley at 2307 Fenton Parkway. Others are in Hillcrest, downtown San Diego and Mira Mesa. Based in Dallas, Comerica reported total assets of $55 billion in March.  It boasts a community involvement program, which includes a reinvestment arm.

The bank’s website says:

Comerica has a long history of commitment to reinvestment in the community. Programs that promote the economic revitalization and growth of communities and the markets we serve are a priority. Economic assistance from Comerica has helped improve neighborhoods, provide seed money for small business owners, and enable countless numbers of people to purchase their first home.

The bank was in the news Wednesday when a federal court in Michigan ruled that Comerica is liable for a $560,000 cyberheist, “saying the bank should have done a better job to spot millions of dollars in fraudulent transactions after one of the bank's customers was tricked in a phishing attack two years ago,” according to Robert McMillan of IDG News Service.