Construction Commencement in Berkeley: Site preparation for...
Wells Fargo Building: A Milestone in Berkeley's Urban Development
The Wells Fargo Building, originally known as the American Trust Building, was a significant addition to Berkeley's skyline when it was completed in 1925. Rising 13 stories, it was the tallest structure in the city aside from the Campanile, and marked the city's first foray into commercial high-rises.
Located at the northwest corner of Center Street and Shattuck Avenue, the building's construction was officially initiated on August 11, 1925. The Chamber of Commerce building, as it was then known, would later become the Wells Fargo Building, reflecting its current association with the well-known bank.
The building's construction was a symbol of Berkeley's transition into more vertical commercial growth. Before this, the city's architecture was primarily low-rise. The high-rise represented economic confidence and modernization during the post-war period when many American cities were expanding their commercial infrastructures.
The Berkeley Wells Fargo Building's history can be traced back to its construction in the late 1950s as the American Trust Building. Although the bank itself dates back to 1852, driven by its origins in express and banking services during the California Gold Rush, the Berkeley building's specific history begins with its construction in the late 1950s.
In the same year, city manager John Edy instructed the Police and Building departments to require contractors to obtain permits if their construction activities temporarily obstructed the public street. This was a response to the large amount of construction taking place in Berkeley at the time.
Additionally, the city of Berkeley was petitioning the state Railroad Commission for permission to extend Addison Street across a triangular parcel of land between the two sides of Shattuck Avenue north of Center Street. The extension was supported by downtown business owners who believed it would become the approach to a proposed grand entrance to the UC Berkeley campus at Addison and Oxford streets.
The city was also enticing Berkeley residents to move to the newly developing community of Orinda, located on the other side of the Berkeley hills, through real estate ads in 1925.
In another development, the humble stop sign was being installed in Berkeley en masse in 1925. The City Council had adopted specifications for 500 'boulevard stop' signs to be placed throughout the city, marking a shift towards regulating traffic in the growing city.
All these developments paint a picture of a dynamic and rapidly changing city, with Berkeley embracing modernization and urban growth in the 1920s.
Investing in real-estate became a popular venture for city residents in 1925, as they were enticed to move to the newly developing community of Orinda. In the world of finance, the construction of the Wells Fargo Building, originally known as the American Trust Building, marked a significant milestone in Berkeley's urban development, symbolizing economic confidence and modernization, as well as a transition into more vertical commercial growth.
