140 New Montgomery facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 140 New Montgomery
Northeast corner of 140 New Montgomery
Former names	The Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Company Building The Pacific Bell Building
Alternative names	The Pacific Telephone Building The Telephone Building Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. Coast Division Offices
Record height
Preceded by	225 Bush Street
Surpassed by	Russ Building
General information
Type	Mixed-use
Architectural style	Art Deco
Location	140 New Montgomery Street San Francisco, California
Coordinates	37°47′13″N 122°24′00″W / 37.7868194444444°N 122.399905555556°W / 37.7868194444444; -122.399905555556
Current tenants	Yelp
Construction started	January 1, 1924; 101 years ago (1924-01-01)
Completed	1925
Opened	May 30, 1925
Renovated	1980s (façade)
Cost	US$4 million (equivalent to $66.75 million in 2022)
Owner	Pembroke Real Estate Inc.
Height
Architectural	435 feet (132.7 meters)
Tip	460 ft (140.2 m)
Antenna spire	460 ft (140.2 m)
Roof	435 ft (132.6 m)
Top floor	413 ft (125.9 m)
Dimensions
Other dimensions	147.00 ft (44.81 m) length x 160.00 ft (48.77 m) width
Technical details
Structural system	steel
Floor count	26
Floor area	295,000 sq ft (27,400 m2)
Lifts/elevators	10
Design and construction
Architect	James R. Miller Timothy L. Pflueger A. A. (Alexander Aimwell) Cantin
Architecture firm	Miller and Pflueger
Designations	San Francisco Category I Historic Building LEED Gold

140 New Montgomery Street is a famous building in San Francisco, California. It is also known as The Pacific Telephone Building or The PacBell Building. This tall building has a special design style called Art Deco. It is used for different things, like offices. You can find it in the South of Market district, near other cool places like the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

This 26-story building was built to bring many smaller offices into one big, modern place. It was the main office for The Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. When it opened on May 30, 1925, it was San Francisco's first big skyscraper. It was also the tallest building in the city for a short time. It was the first tall building south of Market Street. It was also the first skyscraper on the west coast used by only one company.

Later, in 2007, AT&T sold the building. Today, a big internet company called Yelp is the main company that uses the building.

Building History and Design

Early Years and Original Use

When the building was first built, it was home to The Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. This company was part of the Bell System, a large telephone network. The building used to have many bell shapes on its outside, especially around the main entrance. After 1984, when the Bell System was broken up, Pacific Telephone changed its name to Pacific Bell.

Unique Architectural Features

The building has a special "L" shape. It also has eight large eagle statues, each about 13 feet (4 meters) tall, on top of its roof. Spotlights are used to show off the beautiful terra cotta decorations on the outside, both day and night.

In 1929, a famous leader named Sir Winston Churchill visited the building. He made his first phone call across the Atlantic Ocean from here, calling his home in London.

For 44 years, until 1978, the top of the roof had a special job. It was used to warn sailors about storms. During the day, a 25-foot (7.6 meter) red flag was flown. At night, a red light was used to give the warning. This was done by the United States National Weather Service.

The Building in the 21st Century

Changes in Ownership and Purpose

In 2007, AT&T sold the PacBell Building for $118 million. The new owners first planned to turn the building into 118 fancy apartments. However, these plans were stopped because of the financial crisis that happened in 2008. The building then stayed empty for almost six years.

Renovation and New Tenants

Around 2010 and 2011, there was a big need for office space again. So, the owners decided to change their plans back to offices. In February 2012, a major renovation project began. This work made the building stronger against earthquakes. It also added new systems for water, electricity, and fire safety. The historic lobby of the building was also carefully restored. This renovation cost between $80 million and $100 million.

In 2012, Yelp announced that it would rent a large part of the building. By 2015, Yelp had expanded and was using almost 150,000 square feet (13,935 square meters) across 13 floors.

In April 2016, a company called Pembroke Real Estate Inc. bought 140 New Montgomery. They paid $284 million for the property. This shows how valuable the building is.

Images for kids

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  140 New Montgomery entrance

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  140 New Montgomery eagles

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  The building as seen from Yerba Buena Gardens, near the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

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  View from Market Street

See also

In Spanish: 140 New Montgomery para niños