UBS Plaza
UBS Plaza is a 25-story high-rise office building in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. The building was completed in 1980 as part of the Town Square mixed-use complex. It is occupied by UBS Financial Services, architecture/engineering firm TKDA, and several law firms.[2]
UBS Plaza | |
---|---|
General information | |
Status | Completed |
Type | Office |
Address | 444 Cedar Street St. Paul, Minnesota |
Coordinates | 44°56′53.42″N 93°5′39.67″W |
Completed | 1980 |
Owner | CIG-UBS |
Height | 305 feet (93 m) |
Technical details | |
Floor count | 25 |
Floor area | 229,600 square feet (21,330 m2) |
Design and construction | |
Architecture firm | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill |
References | |
[1] |
History
The building was completed in 1980 and originally named the Conwed Tower. After the Meritor Mortgage Corporation moved into the top two floors of the towers in 1987, it was renamed to Meritor Tower.[3] The tower was originally owned by a consortium of limited partnerships, but the Saint Paul Port Authority was forced to takeover in 1991 after a lawsuit revealed financial issues.[4] The tower was renamed to Piper Jaffray Plaza after Piper Jaffray moved its offices into the building in 1993.[5]
It was sold to RAIT Financial Trust in 2012 and acquired by CIG-UBS in 2017 for $14 million.[2]
MPR Raccoon
On June 12, 2018, a stranded raccoon climbed to the 22nd story of the tower and became an internet sensation, attracting onlookers while animal control attempted to trap it.[6][7] The raccoon's climb was livestreamed online and was covered by local television stations.[8] The raccoon reached the roof of the 25-story building at 2:30 a.m. the following morning.[9] The name "MPR Racoon" was attributed to Minnesota Public Radio employees who worked across the street.[6]
References
- "Emporis building ID 128071". Emporis. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018.
- Reilly, Mark (May 26, 2017). "UBS Plaza in St. Paul sells fetches $14 million in sale". Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- "Conwed Tower to become Meritor Tower". Minneapolis Star and Tribune. June 11, 1987. p. 4M. Retrieved June 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- Meryhew, Richard (October 26, 1990). "St. Paul Port Authority's credit rating still imperiled". Star Tribune. p. 7B – via Newspapers.com.
- McAuliffe, Bill (May 5, 1993). "Piper Jaffray to move to Meritor Tower, give its name to building". Star Tribune. p. 1B. Retrieved June 12, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- Vezner, Tad (June 12, 2018). "Stranded raccoon makes a run for it — 22 stories up a St. Paul office building". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- Harlow, Tim; Sawyer, Liz (June 12, 2018). "Stranded raccoon scales skyscraper in downtown St. Paul". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- Brulliard, Karin; McMillan, Keith (June 12, 2018). "A raccoon is scaling the side of a tall skyscraper, and it's incredibly stressful". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- Sapra, Bani (June 13, 2018). "Raccoon captivates internet with Minnesota skyscraper climb". CNN. Retrieved June 13, 2018.