State Tower Building

The area where the State Tower Building was constructed was previously occupied by the Bastable block,[11] which had been standing since at least 1852.[12] The block was four stories tall and housed the Shakespeare Hall and arcade. It burnt down on November 20, 1891.[11] Two years later, Frederick Bastable built the Bastable Theatre in its place.[13] Sam S. Shubert managed the theatre to profitability in 1897, booking a variety of sensational shows and comedies.[14] The Bastable block was virtually razed in a 1923 fire; the theatre itself was completely destroyed.[15]

In the aftermath of the fire, Stephen Bastable, who owned the block, resolved to replace the Bastable Theatre with an office building. In July 1923 he announced that the block would be filled by a "modern office building".[15] The plot was purchased by Central Offices, led by Albert Mayer and Charles Mayer, who resolved to build an office building on the site. They considered building a larger theatre with an office tower on top of it, and an informal agreement was reportedly reached for leasing of the theatre. However, the plan soon developed further and it became clear that both a theatre and office building could not be built on the site. Plans for a new theatre were dropped.[10] The architect was Thompson & Churchill.[10]

The foundation began to be dug in 1927. It was largely 23 ft (7.0 m) below street level, but to the north reached 30 ft (9.1 m) down. This was the deepest foundation ever sunk in Downtown Syracuse, below the level of Onondaga Lake, and pumps were necessary to remove water that was seeping in. 300 people were involved in digging, in two 150 person shifts. On June 10, the Syracuse Herald reported that the foundation was set to be completed by July 1.[16] The tower was completed by April 29, 1928, and scheduled to be formally opened two days later. On the 29th, an article in the Syracuse Herald wrote that the tower marked the beginning of a "new era in progress of [the] city". Before opening, 80 percent of the building was leased to commercial tenants.[10] Upon completion, the building was upstate New York's tallest building.[17]

Postcard image

The building's exterior was lit at night from its opening to the 1960s.[8] On May 29, 1962, a gas explosion hit the building, causing an estimated $100,000 in damages, and several injuries. The basement was flooded, the structure shook as fumes traveled through the building, and the explosion caused a minor panic, as about 3,000 people were inside at the time.[6] The building is a contributing property in the Hanover Square Historic District, which was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[18][19]

It was renovated in 2003.[2]

The State Tower Building was the site of regular peregrine falcon nesting, and the top floor holds a nesting box.[5] In 2015, live cameras that offered views of the nesting box were installed. After 2019 renovations to the building, the box was moved and as of 2021 had not been used in "a couple of years", according to the local office of the Department of Environmental Conservation.[5]

In 2014, some concerns were raised over possible hazards with the facade of the building.[20] Two years later, a developer purchased the building for $5.4 million. As over half of the building was unoccupied, the developers kept only the first 7 floors of the building as office space and from 2016 to 2018 redeveloped the upper floors into 61 high-end apartments. In addition to redeveloping the apartments, all windows, the roof, and substantial portions of the facade were replaced. A second stairwell was added to the top floors.[4][17]

The building is the site of "The Climb", a program that raises funds to aid children with cancer in Central New York. During the fundraiser, participants climb the 338 steps in the State Tower.[7][21]