Bank Suddenly Foreclosed
On September 4, the Bank abruptly closed. The former Provident Loan Society of New York was once Jasper Johns' art studio before becoming a gothic/industrial place of worship. After a decade in residence, Bank owner and manager Hal Gould found out the building's lease had been suddenly sold. Landlord Tony Lia gave the club only eight days' notice to get out. Sources told CitySearch that
Lia had already closed a deal with Floridian "club developers" to open a "model bar" in the cavernous Lower East Side
site. "They've already installed the chandelier, now all they need is velvet couches and some celebrities," said one insider.
Meanwhile, Gould and his fellow denizens of the night have been left to scramble. The Bank's popular club night, Albion, has been moved to Saturdays at a recently renovated Downtime, with more formerly Bankable DJ and live performance nights hopefully to follow.