Union Station (Albany, New York)
Encyclopedia
Union Station, also known as Albany Union Station, is a building in downtown Albany
, New York
. Built during 1899–1900, it originally served as the city's railroad station but now houses bank offices. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP) in 1971.
Its NRHP application asserted:
. It was the Capital District
's main railroad station until December 1968. Built primarily to serve the New York Central's passenger trains, it also hosted the services of the Delaware & Hudson
. In 1968 the Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station
opened across the river in Rensselaer
.
In 1986 Peter Kiernan, president of Norstar Bankcorp Inc, moved the headquarters of the Fortune 500
bank from Guilderland, New York
, to Union Station in Albany, and contracted the architecture firm EYP Architecture & Engineering to complete a $14.5 million renovation of the historic building. During construction a bottle was discovered hanging on a nail behind a plaster wall ornament; inside was a note dated August 12, 1900. Signed by "AA Johnsen. Foreman," the note mentioned the names of the workers and companies involved in the original construction. It listed the workers' wages as 45 cents per hour. Kiernan then placed a new time capsule regarding this construction behind another plaster ornament on an upper floor. Union Station was renamed Norstar Plaza, and when Norstar Bancorp merged with Fleet Financial Group Inc of Providence, Rhode Island
, in 1988, Norstar Plaza became one of two headquarters (with Providence) of the new company. Kiernan died later that year, and in 1989 the corporation renamed the building Peter D. Kiernan Plaza in his honor. At the end of 1999, shortly after Fleet purchased BankBoston
to become FleetBoston Financial
, the new company decided to spend a total of $25 million on new software, hardware, and electrical, heating, and cooling systems for the building.
In 2004 Bank of America
bought FleetBoston and kept the building. The next year, the bank sold Kiernan Plaza to American Financial Realty Trust and leased the building back. In 2008 American Financial Realty Trust was bought out by Gramercy Realty Corp. and in October 2009 Bank of America decided to consolidate its operations at Kiernan Plaza with others in Albany by moving them to a State Street building also owned by Gramercy, with no job losses.
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Built during 1899–1900, it originally served as the city's railroad station but now houses bank offices. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places listings in Albany, New York
The National Register of Historic Places listings in Albany, New York represent the history of Albany from the Dutch colonial era, through the British colonial era, the American Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, and World War II, in addition to various periods of immigration into New York's...
(NRHP) in 1971.
Its NRHP application asserted:
Perhaps no other building has been so important to the growth of Albany during the twentieth century as Union Station. It was designed in 1899 by Shepl[e]y, Rutan and Coolidge, the successors to the firm of H.H. Richardson and the designers of the newly completed South StationSouth StationSouth Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern...
in Boston and Union Station in Springfield, MassachusettsSpringfield, MassachusettsSpringfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
. The construction was carried out by Norcross BrothersNorcross BrothersNorcross Brothers Contractors and Builders was a prominent nineteenth-century American construction company, especially noted for their work, mostly in stone, for the architectural firms of H.H. Richardson and McKim, Mead & White....
, who were considered to be one of the finest contractors of the period.
History
The station received 96 trains per day in 1900 and 121 per day during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was the Capital District
Capital District
New York's Capital District, also known as the Capital Region, is a region in upstate New York that generally refers to the four counties surrounding Albany, the capital of the state: Albany County, Schenectady County, Rensselaer County, and Saratoga County...
's main railroad station until December 1968. Built primarily to serve the New York Central's passenger trains, it also hosted the services of the Delaware & Hudson
Delaware and Hudson Railway
The Delaware and Hudson Railway is a railroad that operates in the northeastern United States. Since 1991 it has been a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway, although CPR has assumed all operations and the D&H does not maintain any locomotives or rolling stock.It was formerly an important...
. In 1968 the Albany-Rensselaer Rail Station
Albany-Rensselaer (Amtrak station)
The Albany – Rensselaer Rail Station is a long-distance rail terminal in Rensselaer, New York, located 1.5 miles from downtown Albany across the Hudson River. , the station was Amtrak's tenth-busiest station and by 2010 it had become the ninth-busiest...
opened across the river in Rensselaer
Rensselaer, New York
Rensselaer is a city in Rensselaer County, New York, United States, and is located on the Hudson River directly opposite Albany. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,392; in 1920, it was 10,832. The name is from Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original landowner of the region in New...
.
In 1986 Peter Kiernan, president of Norstar Bankcorp Inc, moved the headquarters of the Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
bank from Guilderland, New York
Guilderland, New York
Guilderland is a town in Albany County, New York, United States. In the 2010 census, the town had a population of 35,303. The town is named for the Gelderland province in the Netherlands....
, to Union Station in Albany, and contracted the architecture firm EYP Architecture & Engineering to complete a $14.5 million renovation of the historic building. During construction a bottle was discovered hanging on a nail behind a plaster wall ornament; inside was a note dated August 12, 1900. Signed by "AA Johnsen. Foreman," the note mentioned the names of the workers and companies involved in the original construction. It listed the workers' wages as 45 cents per hour. Kiernan then placed a new time capsule regarding this construction behind another plaster ornament on an upper floor. Union Station was renamed Norstar Plaza, and when Norstar Bancorp merged with Fleet Financial Group Inc of Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, in 1988, Norstar Plaza became one of two headquarters (with Providence) of the new company. Kiernan died later that year, and in 1989 the corporation renamed the building Peter D. Kiernan Plaza in his honor. At the end of 1999, shortly after Fleet purchased BankBoston
BankBoston
BankBoston was a bank based in Boston, Massachusetts, which was created by the 1996 merger of Bank of Boston and BayBank. Bank of Boston had a venerable history dating back to 1784, but the merged BankBoston was short-lived, being acquired by Fleet Bank in 1999...
to become FleetBoston Financial
FleetBoston Financial
FleetBoston Financial was a Boston, Massachusetts–based bank created in 1999 by the merger of Fleet Financial Group and BankBoston. In 2004 it merged with Bank of America; all of its banks and branches were given the Bank of America logo.-History:...
, the new company decided to spend a total of $25 million on new software, hardware, and electrical, heating, and cooling systems for the building.
In 2004 Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
bought FleetBoston and kept the building. The next year, the bank sold Kiernan Plaza to American Financial Realty Trust and leased the building back. In 2008 American Financial Realty Trust was bought out by Gramercy Realty Corp. and in October 2009 Bank of America decided to consolidate its operations at Kiernan Plaza with others in Albany by moving them to a State Street building also owned by Gramercy, with no job losses.