by Kevin Cody
What appeared to be graffiti artists tagging the downtown Hermosa Beach Bank of America Wednesday morning were actually Sunset Sign workers hired to remove the bank’s signs.
Their black spray can paint was meant to cover up all vestiges of the Bank of America name, a worker said.
The building, which has been a bank since its construction in 1927, closed on Tuesday, February 13, the day before Valentine’s Day.
The bank announced the closure last November citing lack of traffic. A spokesperson for the bank said 90 percent of the branch’s customers bank online. 
A worker takes a hammer to the downtown Hermosa Beach Bank of America sign. Photo by Kevin Cody
The 5,000 square foot bank is the second large downtown Hermosa business to close in recent months. Rok Sushi, which is kitty-corner from the bank, on the east side of Hermosa Avenue, is also 5,000 square feet. It closed late last year.
Commercial Realtor Tony Cordi, of The Innate Group in Palos Verdes, said this week he has received inquiries about the Bank of America property from Realtors and restaurant owners. But he said the property, which is owned by Bank of America, is not publicly listed for sale or lease.
The Bank of America is one of three commercial buildings designated for historic preservation by the city under the State Mills Act. The other two buildings are the Hermosa Hotel at 20 Pier Avenue, and the Community Center at Pier Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway. Changes to the designs of the buildings are subject to review by the city. ER
