Rand Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rand Building |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Location | 14 Lafayette Square Buffalo, New York 14203 |
| Coordinates | 42°53′10.30″N 78°52′24.40″W / 42.8861944°N 78.8734444°W |
| Completed | 1929 |
| Owner | Main Street Buffalo Properties, LP |
| Management | Priam Enterprises, LLC |
| Height | |
| Antenna spire | 405 feet (123.4 m) |
| Roof | 351 feet (107.0 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 29 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | James W. Kideney & Associates; Franklyn and William Kidd |
| Main contractor | John W. Cowper Company |
The Rand Building is a very tall skyscraper located in Buffalo, New York. It is the third tallest building in the city. When it was finished in 1929, it was the tallest building in Buffalo, standing at 405 feet high. The building was constructed where the Olympic Theatre used to be. Some people think the Rand Building might have inspired the design of the famous Empire State Building.
Contents
History of the Rand Building
.jpg)
The Rand Building is named after George F. Rand Sr. He was an important businessman who led the Marine Midland Bank. Sadly, he passed away in a plane crash in England in 1919.
Radio Stations at the Rand Building
The Buffalo Broadcasting Company once had its radio stations, WGR and WKBW, inside the Rand Building. These stations moved out by 1959. The "GR" in WGR stands for George Rand. He was a big investor in the company that started the station in 1922.
Today, several radio stations still broadcast from the Rand Building. These include WMSX, WBLK, WBUF, and WYRK. Their studios are in the building, and their antennas are on top of its beacon.
Special Features and Ownership
The Rand Building is right next to 10 Lafayette Square in Lafayette Square. George F. Rand Jr., George Sr.'s son, had a special dining room on the top floor. He used it for important business meetings. When the building first opened, it had a fancy lighting system. This lighting showed off its unique "Art Deco" style, which has cool stepped-back designs.
In 2014, a developer named Paul J. Kolkmeyer bought the Rand Building for about $3.89 million. His company, Priam Enterprises LLC, buys and manages apartment buildings. Kolkmeyer also bought several other buildings nearby at the same time.
Building Site Timeline
The spot where the Rand Building stands today has a long history. Many different buildings were there before the Rand Building was built in 1929.
- 1830s: The area was first used as a lumber yard.
- 1845: The Lafayette Presbyterian Church was built here.
- 1850: The church was destroyed in a fire but was quickly rebuilt.
- 1862: A larger church was constructed to replace the previous one.
- 1901-1913: The church congregation moved. The building was sold and turned into a theater called the Lafayette Theater.
- 1908: A private house on the corner was taken down. A new building for the Park Hof restaurant was built by architects Seames and Zeitler.
- 1914: The restaurant building was sold, updated, and reopened as the "Olympic Theater." This theater showed movies and vaudeville shows.
- 1929: The Rand Building was finally constructed on this historic site.
Images for kids
-
The Rand Building next to 10 Lafayette Square.
-
A parade in Buffalo, with the Rand Building in the background.
-
The Rand Building (right) with the Tishman Building (left).
See also
In Spanish: Rand Building para niños
