Going Once, Going Twice...Union Trust Building Up for Auction Today!

The Union Trust Building is up for auction today.  This building has a rich history and is a true landmark on Grant Street.

Henry Clay Frick built three major buildings in Pittsburgh: in l901-1902 the Frick Building and in l915-1917 the William Penn Hotel and the Union Arcade (now known as the Union Trust Building).  Henry Clay Frick wanted these buildings to be the finest in America and for them to compete with buildings in New York City. 

The Union Trust Building was designed by noted Pittsburgh architect Frederick J. Osterling.  The architectural style of this building,  Flemish Gothic,  was intended to compete with the Woolworth Building in New York City of similar Flemish Gothic, a somewhat contemporary style.  The first four floors of the eleven story office building were designed for retail.  They originally housed 240 shops, second in the city to the Jenkins Arcade.  This period of development in l917 was prior to shopping centers and virtually all shopping was done in town.

The Union Trust Building encompasses an entire block:  Fifth Avenue, Oliver Avenue, William Penn Way and Grant Street.  The building contains a total of 600,000 square feet in its eleven floors.  The gross area per floor is 54,000 square feet with the rentable area being 45,000 square feet per floor.  The spectacular Central Rotunda, extending up 10 floors, has served in recent times as a money drop location to support charities during the holiday season.

 The exterior Gothic design of the Union Trust Building features the typical pointed arches, but it is often thought that the two chapel-like structures on the roof were built to recall the church that had occupied the site prior to l915.  Actually, they are the housing for the elevator mechanical equipment and provide some added space for building operations.

 Mellon Bank Corp. completed a major renovation of the Union Trust Building in l985-1986 to include new HVAC equipment, new double pane windows, and installation of the tenth and eleventh floors conference and meeting centers.  The basement originally had extensive lock boxes, a very large vault as well as the Colonade Restaurant.  The restaurant is now gone, having been replaced by sixty parking stalls with an entrance from William Penn Way.

 The Union Trust Building continues to be one of the most attractive buildings in the city, and its location at 501 Grant Street is considered by many as the “100% business address” in Pittsburgh.

-James C. Dawson

Mr. Dawson is a retired, founding principal of Grant Street Associates, Inc.  Currently, he is a member of the Pittsburgh History &  Landmarks Society and hosts weekly walking tours in Downtown Pittsburgh during the warm weather months.