The four-story building on the corner of E. Front and Park Streets – home to Chase Bank – is getting a facelift and a new identity.

Most prominent is the landscaping work underway now along both Front and Park Streets. Unlike most downtown buildings, the building is set back from the curb an additional 20 feet; that extra area between the sidewalk and the building will now contain grass, trees and shrubs, uplighting along the building, stone benches along Front and a walkway along Park.

Originally built for National Bank & Trust, the 40,000 square-foot building was purchased by a local investment group led by Miller Investment Company and developer Jerry Snowden in 2013.

Snowden calls the landscaping work a “greening up of downtown, creating a park-like setting, with fresh green grass, vibrant plantings and bench seating,” referring to the area as “an urban micro-park.”

The landscaping area on the Park Street side will include some form of fine art on the building, and Snowden says he is discussing a possible installation of a piano for public use.

The building will also get a new entry canopy that will herald its new name, 250 Front.

Snowden says the building is 100 percent leased and that work continues inside, including a new elevator, an overhaul of the lobby and new windows throughout. All told, the work on the building and grounds total more than $1 million.

Lightning Turtle Lanscapes is leading the work on the grounds; Archer Contracting is leading interior construction. Building tenants include Chase, National Cherry Festival, and Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation.

Snowden adds that plans have yet to be finalized for the open area to the west of the building, next to Cali’s Boutique.