919 Third Avenue facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 919 Third Avenue
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Office
Location	919 3rd Avenue New York City, New York, USA
Coordinates	40°45′32.5″N 73°58′4.8″W / 40.759028°N 73.968000°W / 40.759028; -73.968000
Completed	1971
Opening	1971
Owner	SL Green
Height
Roof	615 ft (187 m)
Technical details
Floor count	47
Floor area	1,399,986 sq ft (130,063 m2)
Design and construction
Architect	Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Structural engineer	Irwin Cantor & Associates, PC
Main contractor	Tishman Construction

919 Third Avenue is a tall office building in New York City, New York, USA. It was finished in 1971. You can find it where Third Avenue meets East 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan.

This building stands 615 feet (188 meters) tall. It has 47 floors, which is a lot of space for offices! It's one of the many tall buildings in New York City. The famous company Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed it.

Building History

A Bar That Stayed

In the mid-1960s, something unusual happened when this skyscraper was being planned. The people building it decided to construct the new tower around a popular bar and restaurant called P. J. Clarke's. The owner of the bar simply refused to sell his property. So, the builders worked around it! This made the building's design quite unique.

Important Safety Changes

In December 1970, while the building was still being finished, a fire broke out on the fifth floor. This event led to big changes in building safety laws in New York City.

After the fire, New York City created a very strict law called Local Law #5 of 1973. This law made sure that tall buildings had much better fire protection. It wasn't just about strong materials anymore. The law required:

• Good fire safety plans.
• Ways to safely get people out of tall buildings.
• A special person called a Fire Safety Director to be on duty. This person helps keep everyone safe in buildings over 100 feet tall or with many people inside.

The fire showed how important it was to have clear ways to escape. The building's structure helped contain the fire mostly to one area.

A Close Call for Repairmen

Years later, in July 1996, two repairmen working outside the building had a scary moment. A strong gust of wind pushed their work platform through a window. Luckily, they were rescued and survived.

Who Works There?

Many well-known companies have offices at 919 Third Avenue. Some of the important businesses that have been tenants include:

• Debevoise & Plimpton
• Jenner & Block
• Schulte Roth & Zabel
• Bloomberg L.P. (a big media and financial data company)
• Bloomingdale's (a famous department store)

The building used to be home to the New York offices of the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom until 1999.

Today, the building is owned by SL Green Realty Corp..

See also

In Spanish: 919 Third Avenue para niños