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restaurant is now gone, having been replaced by sixty parking stalls with an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.
.JPG)
