union

RSA Union
  The ten-story RSA Union office building stands at the intersection of Monroe and Union streets, diagonally adjacent to and behind the State Capitol.  It turned out to be my favorite of the Retirement Systems buildings which PH&J designed.  Perhaps my favor resulted from its low-keyed elegance.  Possibly it was […]

RSA Union

 in RSA  tagged rsa / union
Monroe St Phase
As Dr. Bronner outlined it early in 1992, the Monroe Street segment would consist of seven structures.  Two major office buildings, three large parking decks, a child care center and an outlet mall.  Three architectural firms would be included in the action–PH&J would design the two office buildings and the […]

RSA Union – The Monroe Street Phase

 in RSA  tagged monroe / rsa / union
RSA Clipping
For at least a half-century, the lower end of Monroe Street had been the downtown domain of the black community.  Located there were the stores which catered to a black trade, their own movie theater, barber shops, etc.  Monroe Street was not a good address. When word went out that […]

RSA Union – What’s In A Name

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Rice Semple House
To assuage the Acting State Finance Director, Jimmy Rowell, Bronner agreed to build a stand-alone multistory parking deck just behind the Lurleen Wallace State Office Building and near the State Capitol.  In turn the Finance Director agreed that the State would vacate its gravel parking lots on the block which […]

RSA Union – The Tar Baby

 in RSA  tagged rice / rsa / semple / tar / union
Elevator Clip Art
As the prospect of $100 Million in office building construction pervaded the elevator industry, all the major manufacturers began to scramble to be sure their product would be considered. Certainly the RSA Union and Tower together would be the most significant elevator work in Alabama for 1993.  I had been […]

RSA Union – The Elevator Ride

 in RSA  tagged elevator / ride / rsa / union
RSA Union and Deck
By almost any standard, the RSA Union was a huge building.  It was to be nine stories high (plus basement), with floor plates of 40,000 square feet.  That produces a building of 400,000 square feet of floor area.  It was 25-percent larger than the ACC, which previously was the largest […]

RSA Union – The Concept

 in RSA  tagged concept / rsa / union
Union Clipping
By 1991 the success and acceptance of Dr. Bronner’s initial round of buildings, the RSA Plaza and the Alabama Center for Commerce, had completely changed the political chemistry of the city.  Governor Guy Hunt, who had previously fought with Bronner, now offered him the full support of the State.  Mayor […]

RSA Union – Political Deals

 in RSA  tagged deals / political / rsa / union
PSC Commissioners
The array of state agency tenants in the Union was much more impressive than those in the RSA Plaza.  With the green light from the Governor’s Office, Bronner had little difficulty in lining up a stellar group.  Among the anticipated occupants were the State Purchasing Department, the State Comptroller, the […]

RSA Union – Impressive Tenants

 in RSA  tagged rsa / tenants / union
Union Street Washers
Right up front I admit that our dealings with the City on this round ran much smoother than before, especially with our supposed champion and liaison, Roy Boudreaux, in the equation.  However, that does not say that things ran perfectly. Because the Union project was in the initial thrust of […]

RSA Union – Encounters With The City

 in RSA  tagged city / rsa / union