525 William Penn Place facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 525 William Penn Place |
|
|---|---|
525 William Penn Place
|
|
| General information | |
| Type | Office / Commercial |
| Location | 525 William Penn Place, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Construction started | April 1, 1949 |
| Completed | 1951 |
| Opening | 1951 |
| Cost | $67.65 million |
| Owner | FAC 525, LLC |
| Management | Jones Lang LaSalle |
| Height | |
| Roof | 520 feet (160 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 41 |
| Floor area | 942,665 square feet (87,576.4 m2) |
| Lifts/elevators | 20 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Harrison & Abramovitz |
| Developer | John W. Galbreath |
| Main contractor | Turner Construction Company |
525 William Penn Place is a tall building in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is also known as the Citizens Bank Tower. This skyscraper was finished in 1951. It was built for the Mellon National Bank and the U.S. Steel Corporation.
The building is 520 feet (160 m) tall. It has 41 floors. For a long time, it was one of the tallest buildings in Pittsburgh. Today, it is still one of the largest office buildings in the city.
Contents
History of the Skyscraper
525 William Penn Place was one of the first skyscrapers built in Pittsburgh. It was part of a big plan to rebuild downtown Pittsburgh. This plan was called Renaissance I. David Lawrence, who was the mayor, started this project.
The building was constructed by John W. Galbreath. He used loans from Mellon National Bank. The design was created by Harrison & Abramovitz. The Turner Construction Company built the tower. It stands where the Henry Hotel used to be. That hotel was taken down in 1949 to make space.
The original idea was to connect the building to the Mellon National Bank next door. This would let bank employees move easily between them. But the plan changed. The skyscraper got its own modern look. It has a shared lobby with many elevators.
U.S. Steel rented many floors, from the 9th to the 37th. They were the main tenant for a long time. Later, U.S. Steel built its own skyscraper, the U.S. Steel Tower, in 1970. After that, Mellon Bank owned most of 525 William Penn Place.
In 2015, BNY Mellon decided to sell the building. In 2016, it was sold for $67.65 million. Today, Citizens Bank is a big tenant. They also have the right to put their signs on top of the tower.
Building Upgrades and Improvements
The building has been updated several times. The first big renovation happened from 1986 to 1987. They replaced all the windows and updated the heating and cooling systems.
In 2001, the lobby and entrances were rebuilt. The elevators and restrooms were also updated. The building is very energy efficient. It received an Energy Star label in 2008. This means it uses less energy. In 2010, it earned a Gold Level LEED certification. This shows it is a very "green" and sustainable building.
What's in a Name?
The building's name has changed a few times. This is because the banking world changes a lot.
- From 1951 to 1970, it was called 525 William Penn Place.
- Then it became the Mellon Bank Center.
- In 1984, it was renamed Three Mellon Bank Center. This happened when another Mellon building, One Mellon Bank Center, was finished nearby.
- In 2002, it went back to its original name: 525 William Penn Place. This was when Mellon sold its everyday banking business to Citizens Bank.
Cool Facts About the Building
This skyscraper has some unique features.
- There are special elevators inside. Some only go between floors two and eight. Others only go between floors 38 and 41.
- In the basement garage, there is a working vehicle turntable. Trucks can drive in, unload, and then the turntable spins them around. This helps them exit the building easily.
- There is a secret tunnel! It connects 525 William Penn Place to One BNY Mellon Center. This tunnel runs under another building. It is not open to the public, but building staff and tenants use it.
