Main Place Tower

Main Place Tower
Main Place Tower in Buffalo, New York
Map
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeOffice
Location350 Main Street, Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Coordinates42°53′04″N 78°52′32″W / 42.884423°N 78.875452°W / 42.884423; -78.875452
Completed1969
OwnerMain Liberty Group
Height
Roof106.68 m (350.0 ft)
Technical details
Floor count26
Floor area341,000 sq ft (31,679.9 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s)Harrison & Abramovitz

The Main Place Tower is located at 350 Main Street, in Buffalo, New York. The skyscraper is the fourth-tallest building in the city, and home to many technology and communication firms.[1][2] The tower, built in 1969, rises 350 feet (110 meters). The shopping center within the complex is referred to as the Main Place Mall.

History

The current location of the Main Place Tower was originally Shelton Square, a city block of considerable traffic in the city. Shelton Square was the site of a notorious publicity stunt in 1955, when disc jockey Tom Clay climbed to the top of a billboard in the square and disrupted traffic by repeatedly playing "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets on a loudspeaker; the incident led to Clay's firing and arrest.[3]

Originally the headquarters for the Erie County Savings Bank, it became known as One Empire Tower when the Erie County Savings Bank became Empire of America, the building was then renamed "Main Place Tower" in the 1980s with the demise of Empire of America.[4] The Main Place Tower was constructed as part of an urban renewal project. The land site of the building was previously home to the Richardsonian Romanesque castle-like Erie County Savings Bank Building (1890-1968).[5] The Erie County Savings Bank was both the anchor tenant and financial backer for the Main Place tower construction and leased the first three floors upon its completion.[4]

Jim Kelly owned and operated Sport City Grill restaurant with the attached Network nightclub on the ground floor of the complex from 1993 to 1996.[6][7] New ownership tried to relaunch the restaurant as Banana Joe's Sports Bar & Grill in late 1996, but it went out of business in 1997.[8]

As of 2020, the concourse at the base of the complex has several tenants, two restaurants and a food court. That year, the city announced plans to collaborate with Main Place's owner to make room for office and parking space.[9]

  • View from Niagara Square
    View from Niagara Square
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Main Place Tower.

See also

References

  1. ^ About Main Place Mall
  2. ^ TripAdvisor. "Main Place Mall". Retrieved 2011-05-09.
  3. ^ "Buffalo Broadcast Pioneers timeline". Archived from the original on March 2, 2005. Retrieved 2015-03-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) and [1]
  4. ^ a b Quinlan, Michael (2006). Living where We Used to Work: (Exploring the Modern Office Tower Potential for High-Rise living). UMI Dissertation Services. p. 78.
  5. ^ www.buffaloah.com. "Erie County Savings Bank, Demolished 1968". Retrieved 2011-05-09.
  6. ^ "KELLY CONTROLS NETWORK, SPORTS BAR". Buffalo News. May 19, 1995. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  7. ^ Herbeck, Dan; Vogel, Mike; Cardinale, Anthony; Vogel, Mike; Anderson, Dale; Vogel, Mike; Batzer, Dick; O'Brien, Barbara; Vogel, Mike; Buyer, Bob; Vogel, Mike; Raeke, Carolyn; Vogel, Mike; Condren, Dave; Vogel, Mike; Herbeck, Dan; Vogel, Mike; Warner, Gene (March 29, 1996). "KELLY'S NETWORK CLOSES DESPITE CITY EFFORTS". Buffalo News. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  8. ^ Raeke, Carolyn; Linstedt, Sharon; Anzalone, Charles; Linstedt, Sharon; Miller, Esther; Linstedt, Sharon; Lakamp, Patrick; Linstedt, Sharon; Stouffer, Rick; Linstedt, Sharon; Linstedt, Sharon; Linstedt, Sharon; Gryta, Matt; Linstedt, Sharon; Precious, Tom; Linstedt, Sharon; Carucci, Vic (January 29, 1997). "BANANA JOE'S SPORTS BAR OUT OF BUSINESS DOWNTOWN EATERY WAS ABLE TO STAY OPEN ONLY 31/2 MONTHS". Buffalo News. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  9. ^ Fink, James (February 20, 2020). "Main Place Mall may evolve into tech-centric office space". Buffalo Business First. American City Business Journals. Retrieved February 20, 2020.


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