1. History

2. References

3. External links

The Heinz 57 Center is an office building in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the corner of Sixth and Smithfield Avenues. The building has approximately {{convert|790,000|sqft|m2}}, standing 13 stories ({{convert|190|ft|m}}) tall.^[1]

It was built in 1914 for the Kaufmann & Baer Co. department store. From 1925 to 1986 the building housed a Gimbels department store. Sitting largely vacant for 15 years, the building was remodeled into office space, serving as H.J. Heinz Co. North American Headquarters from 2002 to 2013.

The building was designated as historical landmark by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation in 1982.^[2]

History

The 13 story building was originally constructed as a Kaufmann & Baer Co. department store, opening on March 18, 1914. In 1925, the Gimbel Brothers of New York purchased the Kauffman & Baer Company, including the building and became the Pittsburgh location for Gimbels Department store.^[3] Saks Fifth Avenue had space on the 6th floor of Gimbels for many years, before opening its own store in downtown Pittsburgh.^[4]

Gimbels closed on September 13, 1986 after doing business on Smithfield Street for 61 years.^[4]

The building was purchased by Richard Penzer in 1992 for $2.75 million, although it had an assessed value of $14 million at the time. Penzer was able to lease the first couple levels of the old store with retailers Burlington Coat Factory, Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Eckerd Drug, but the top 9 floors, {{convert|450,000|ft2|m2|0|abbr=on}} remained vacant.^[5]

Penzer had purchased 12 Pittsburgh buildings in the early 1990's, and during that time gained two orthodox rabbinical business partners, Israel Chait and Walter Friedman. By 1997, Penzer was in negotiations to sell the building to the Glimcher Realty Trust for $17 million. The sale of the building to Glimcher fell apart when Penzer alleged Mr. Chait, his former religious adviser, brainwashed him into sharing his property ownership with Mr. Chait and Mr. Friedman, draining millions from his real estate fortune.^[6]

McKnight Realty Partners purchased the building for $15 million in 1999. At this time the building had been largely vacant for nearly 15 years. The entire building underwent a $25 million remodel, converting into class-A office space. The revisions included adding an 8-story atrium to bring light to dark interior floors, each over an acre in size.^[7]

In 2001 H.J. Heinz Co. leased floors 7 though 14, totaling {{convert|310,000|ft2|m2|0|abbr=on}} of the newly remodeled building, in order to relocate their North American headquarters. As part of the lease agreement, the building was renamed the Heinz 57 Center.^[4]

In 2013, H.J. Heinz Co. announced it would lay off 600 employees across its operations in the U.S. and Canada, including 350 in Pittsburgh, departing its office space in the Heinz 57 Center. Heinz had several office locations in Pittsburgh at the time, choosing to consolidate their remaining office workers into a single building at PPG Place^[8] In 2014, UPMC agreed to sublease the majority of the space vacated by Heinz.^[9]

References

External links

• Bernacice Gorne
• Bernacice Górne
• Bernacki Most
• Bernac, Tarn
• Berna da Siena
• Bernadeta Gaspa Bringueret
• Bernadeta Gaspà Bringueret
• Bernadets
• Bernadets-Debat
• Bernadets-Dessus
• Bernadetta Blechacz
• Bernadetta Bocek
• Bernadetta Matuszczak
• Bernadett Bodi
• Bernadett Budai
• Bernadett Bódi
• Bernadette Andrea
• Bernadette Benson
• Bernadette Brooten
• Bernadette Brégeon
• Bernadette Dao
• Bernadette de Lourdes
• Bernadette Dupont
• Bernadette Geyer
• Bernadette Gray-Little