EDITOR’S NOTE– According to Joe R. Pyle Auctions, the high bid of $950,000 fell short of what the owner wanted and negotiations are underway to possibly come to an agreement on a final amount.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The historic Union Building located along the Kanawha River and Kanawha Boulevard in Charleston has a new owner.
The winning bid came in online for $950,000 during an auction just outside the historic building Thursday. Auctioneer Joe R. Pyle pitched the building’s history, design and potential to would-be buyers during the auction.
“This is a landmark property here in Charleston, a very historical property,” Pyle said, owner of Joe R. Pyle Auction and Realty.
The Union Building is made up of 13 floors and 50,000 square feet. It’s positioned near Haddad Riverfront Park and has a penthouse, basement and two elevators. The building is uniquely positioned as the last remaining one sitting between the Kanawha River and Kanawha Boulevard.
At it’s construction, the Union Building was the tallest building in Charleston. Pyle said the view from the top floor is something special and will be a great grab for the new owner.”
We had a great time up there doing our photography and video,” he said. “It’s a beautiful setup, I mean you can just see forever.”
Built in 1911, the Union Building is finished on all four of it’s sides with a neo-classical revival architectural style.
Dozens of people were both online and in person for the auction. The winning bid did come from someone from online. The person who placed the winning bid will have 60 days to officially close on the property.
The name or entity who had the winning bid is expected to be released in the coming days.