HISTORY OF KEY SYSTEM BUILDING
Designed by San Francisco architects Frederick H. Meyer and Walter
Reed, the historic Key System Building was constructed in 1911 and
features an ornate Parisian-influenced Beaux Arts façade. The eight
story building opened its doors in 1912 as the Security Bank and
Trust Building. In 1943, the building became the headquarters for the
Key System transit line, which at the time ran all of the local street
car systems in the East Bay and a line across the Bay Bridge. The
building continues to be an important contributor to the Downtown
Oakland Historic District and was placed on the National Register
of Historic Places in 1984. The Key at 12th will include a fully renovated
historic building that will be seamlessly integrated with a new, modern
office tower that will increase the building’s floor sizes while remaining
sensitive to the Key System Building’s historic character.
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