Heinz 57 Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Heinz 57 Center |
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The Heinz 57 Center, located at the corner of Sixth and Smithfield Avenues in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Office |
| Location | 339 6th Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates | 40°26′31″N 79°59′53″W / 40.44183°N 79.99798°W |
| Construction started | 1913 |
| Completed | 1914 |
| Opening | 1914 |
| Owner | McKnight Realty Partners |
| Management | McKnight Realty Partners |
| Height | |
| Roof | 190 ft (58 m) |
| Top floor | 177 ft (54 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 13 |
| Floor area | 790,000 sq ft (73,393 m2) |
| Lifts/elevators | 8 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Starrett & Van Vleck |
| Designated: | 1982 |
The Heinz 57 Center is a large office building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It stands at the corner of Sixth and Smithfield Avenues. This building is 13 stories tall, reaching about 190 feet (58 m) into the sky. It has a huge floor area of around 790,000 square feet (73,000 m2).
The building was finished in 1914. It was first built for a department store called Kaufmann & Baer Co. Later, from 1925 to 1986, it became a Gimbels department store. After being mostly empty for 15 years, the building was updated to become office spaces. From 2002 to 2013, it was the main office for H.J. Heinz Co. in North America.
In 1982, the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation named the building a historical landmark. This means it's an important part of Pittsburgh's past.
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Building's Early Days
The Heinz 57 Center was originally built for a new department store called Kaufmann & Baer Co.. This store was started by Isaac, Ludwig, and Nathan Kaufmann, along with Morris and Julius Baer. They opened the 13-story building on March 18, 1914, in downtown Pittsburgh.
In 1925, another company called Gimbel Brothers bought Kaufmann & Baer Co. The store's name changed to Gimbels in 1928.
Radio Station and Other Stores
When Gimbel Brothers bought the store, they also got WCAE. This was a radio station that broadcast from inside the store! It started broadcasting on May 4, 1922, and was one of the first radio stations in Pittsburgh.
Later, in 1949, a fancy store called Saks Fifth Avenue opened a part of its store inside the Pittsburgh Gimbels building. Saks Fifth Avenue stayed there for 30 years. In 1977, it moved to its own building nearby.
Gimbels department store closed its doors on September 13, 1986. It had been in business on Smithfield Street for 61 years.
New Life for the Building
After Gimbels closed, the building was mostly empty for a long time. In 1992, a person named Richard Penzer bought the building. He was able to rent out the first two floors to stores like Burlington Coat Factory, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, and Eckerd Drug. However, the top nine floors remained empty.
In 1999, a company called McKnight Realty Partners bought the building for $15 million. At this point, it had been mostly empty for almost 15 years. McKnight Realty Partners spent $25 million to completely update the building. They turned it into modern office spaces. They even added an 8-story open area inside to bring more light to the large floors.
Heinz Moves In
In 2001, H.J. Heinz Co. rented several floors in the newly updated building. They moved their North American headquarters there. As part of their agreement, the building was renamed the Heinz 57 Center.
In 2013, Heinz decided to move its offices. They chose to bring all their remaining workers in Pittsburgh into one building at PPG Place. This meant they left the Heinz 57 Center.
In 2014, the UPMC agreed to rent most of the space that Heinz had left. UPMC moved 550 employees into the Heinz 57 Center.
