Norstar Vision: Union Station Reborn (1986)

In November 1971, [music] the state of New York held two auctions in two weeks trying to get rid of a colossal white elephant. Alby's Union Station, closed in [music] 1968, had no tracks, no rightway. Vandals had carried off virtually everything, even the copper roof. Bids for the building and land were to start at [music] a modest $320,000. The press hovered about, anxious to see who would be the next owner of one of Alby's grandest landmarks. Not a single bidder came. >> [music] >> Union Station held on through a dozen winters, soaked and crumbling as rain and snow ate away the once ornate interior. In [music] the press, the words restore and recycle came up. But so did the word demolish. Although the building was on the National Register of Historic Places, the terms of sale did not preclude tearing it down. Or would the once vital Union Station vanish to make room for another downtown parking lot? Architects and preservationists warned Union Station must have a new roof fast to survive another winter. New York State's Office of General Services, custodian of the Granite White Elephant, erected a temporary roof in 1979. Now, the building could at least [music] weather the elements in forlorn dignity while awaiting a buyer or simply a use. The second decade of waiting began. There was much talk, but little action. Millions of people had been served by Alby's Union Station. But who now would pay millions of dollars to bring it back to life. Then just as circumstances seemed most unpromising, a buyer stepped forward. I was in here one afternoon in January 1984 and my assistant got on the intercom and said Peter Kieran was outside. So I welcomed Peter in and he went over and sat on the couch over here has still had his coat on and he said um I was thinking last night about all the things that are happening in downtown Auburn and he said what would you think about Northstar showing an interest in Union Station. Well, it took me a few minutes to recover and I said that would be fantastic. And it was based on that conversation that the two of us had that Peter then went down, contacted the state, looked at Union Station, and decided to do it. This was exciting news. But as interest in the purchase revived, so did the skepticism. Over the years, there had been a long series of conferences and articles announcing yet another solution or purchaser for Union Station. But this time it was for real. Northstar Bank Corp, a major bank holding company, was the largest corporation headquartered in the city. The name Northstar was strongly identified with downtown Albany. The purchase would bring the headquarters back into the heart of the financial district. But the high hopes were confronted with the evident high cost of the renovation. The repair work ahead was enormous. For use as [music] corporate offices, the building would have to be modified, but in a manner compatible with its historic character. Northstar's roots extend [music] deep into Alby's history. Founded in 1803, Northstar's progenitor, [music] the State Bank of Albany, was a leader in underwriting the development of transportation in America. In 1817, [music] the bank advanced the enormous sum of $600,000, the equivalent of perhaps half a billion dollar today for the Eerie Canal. 1829 saw the financing of the right of way for the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad, the first line of what would become the New York [music] Central under the direction of Corning, formerly a State Bank of Albany officer handling railroad investments. The bank, sensitive to its [music] ties with the past, preserved the original 1804 facade when expanding its building in 1927. In 1985, the Bank's Holding Company, Northstar, would preserve another even grander Albany landmark. >> This is an exciting project. Our strategic planning for the city has emphasized the importance of joint development efforts by both the public and the private sectors. In effect, Northstar is a partner in bringing back a critical district of downtown Albany. >> But returning the station to life has been a demanding [clears throat] project requiring a balance between a number of concerns. The federal department of the interior is concerned that old buildings which deserve careful preservation may be altered unsympathetically in commercial conversions. We realize that the new owner has to utilize space efficiently, but we also recognize that these preservation guidelines exist for legitimate public reasons. The complex and delicate task of properly adapting the station to its new use was given to the Albany architecture and engineering firm Einhorn Yaffy Prescott. The demands of this project certainly include preservation but go far beyond it. The two major planning challenges we faced were first due to Northstar's space requirements, we had to nearly double the existing floor area and yet retain the original interior. And second, because the building is to function as a state-of-the-art corporate headquarters, we had to interface the extremely sophisticated mechanical, electrical, and computer technology with the building's historic architectural features, not allowing one to compromise or dominate the other. Union Station is standing today because it is assuming a new function for the future. a new function carefully inserted into a significant historic landmark. >> The first step was to determine what elements, both structural and ornamental, could be saved and reused. The task of restoring the elegant plaster work was undertaken by Bob Sweeney of Dovetail Incorporated from Lel, Massachusetts. It proved to be no small chore. So you can get a section at least three feet wide of all the patterns, but make sure you get a repeat pattern. Okay. >> Sounding the ceiling revealed [music] the extent of the damage and determined how much of the original plaster work could be saved and what needed to [music] be replaced. Samples of repeat patterns of decorative motifs were cut for use as models in making molds to cast replacement pieces. Water damage to the [music] impressive medallions meant that they too must be taken down and recast. After gingerely chipping, sawing, and cutting for the better part of a day, the crew freed one from [music] its anchor of 85 years and slowly lowered it to the floor until [music] this was not going to be a simple renovation. >> [music] >> The structural work began in [music] earnest. New functional demands for the building meant [music] completely restructuring the interior. In the wings, three floors were made into four. >> [music] >> The splendid cast iron facads were cut away from their supports and gently swung [music] to the opposite side temporarily [music] while new steel was erected to raise and widen the mezzanines. The entire floor of the [music] center space was raised one complete story. Usable floor space was nearly [music] doubled. Computer facilities on the ground level were made secure and yet the spaciousness of the grand lobby was [music] preserved. The results were masterful. The lobby, even though dimensionally smaller, retained its majestic character. We felt initially that raising the floor could possibly destroy the sense of space in the central lobby, but that phase of the renovation was very well conceived and executed. For over a month, the dovetail crew had been slowly, painstakingly recarving, repairing, and reshaping the [music] fallen medallion until finally it was ready. The excitement [music] began to build as the mold material was brushed on. A strong plaster shell was laid over the mold to serve as a support for the casting process. Once dry, the shell and mold were pulled away from the original cartou. Turned over and the casting process started. The true test was at hand. Would the plaster hold for such a large single piece? Would it be light enough yet strong enough? There was a collective sigh of relief. The largest casting Dovetail had ever made was perfect. Once the euphoria had died down, it was time to get on with the thousands of production pieces that would be needed. [music] The creation of the pieces was one thing. Installing them was another. Originally in 1899, each piece was created on site and custom fitted to the steel or form of the building. Dovetail provided us with pieces of production castings that enabled us to replace what was missing or damaged of the original ceiling. to assist us in installing this ceiling. We've chosen a fellow named Ben Soap, who helped us with the local craftsman in installing virtually thousands of pieces. Because the pieces from Dovetail were all made the same, there was a great deal of cutting, fitting, and scribing to be done to make the spacing appear even. And it is our job as in installers to recut and frame and fit these castings so that when they're finished, they read exactly what you saw originally when you took trains from this station. It's then the job of the plaster to come back and then to actually fill in the the crack as the old masters did years ago with a plaster forming the configuration of the shape. The cartou carefully transported from Lel was ready to assume its lofty perch. Now completely restored, the plaster was ready for painting. Eight shades of gray were used to accentuate the shapes of the coffers, dentals, and moldings. The detail throughout was highlighted with a combination of Dutch metal and gold paint. Clearly, an extraordinary building was taking shape. Importantly, it gives us a chance to salute the craftsmen who are engaged in this challenging job of restoring and rehabbing this building. >> Northstar chairman and president Peter D. Kieran in the 1985 onsite progress report to the media officials and guests asked rhetorically if it were true that they don't make them the way they used to. Addressing the builders, he said that they in 1898 included many immigrant craftsmen and laborers. Kieran reflected on the vision of one of those Irishmen coming back. >> Fell named Mike Murphy who came in with his three grandchildren during the depths of the depression and he brought them to the station and he said, "You see that line up there? I made that. I made that with my own hands. I want you to remember that and come in here and see it once in a while. That was your grandfather's work. Now today, as we go about adapting this building to new purposes, modifying, trying to maintain the character and the grandeur of the original, they is you. You men and women who are putting your abilities to this job of transformation. Maybe you haven't sculpted a lion's head, but each of you in your own professional way is sculpting a contribution which I hope your grandchildren will come to see. The hopes and early excitement of the prospect of saving the building were realized and infectious enthusiasm did [music] indeed overtake everyone working on the project. Choreography [music] was a big part of the job. The process seems linear. cleanout, buildup, cleanup. In reality, the renovation faced a maze of permits, licenses, and compliances. Decisions had to be made promptly and delicately. Chimneys, for instance, originally there were two tall, thin chimneys on the south wing. They were quite elaborate with uh granite blocks and ornamentation around the top. These chimneys serve the kitchen. The only problem is that our boilers are in the north wing. That's where we need one large chimney. Strict preservation would argue against that chimney, instead wanting us to leave the two original chimneys now unneeded in place on the south wing. So, we propose to dismantle the two chimneys on the south wing and reassemble the same blocks and decoration into one large chimney on the north wing. The Department of the Interior finally approved that. It was quite a job, but everyone is satisfied. Now, figure two or three dilemmas like that coming up every week, and you'll get an idea for what adaptive use restoration is like. Adaptive use is a concept [music] that serves as a vital link to our past. Reborn as Northstar Plaza, Union Station will soon be back in service to [music] the city and its citizens. Northstar will shortly begin its third century of business [music] in Albany. There is no more fitting place for us to be than in this building. [music] >> [music] [music] [music]