From the icing bag used to make thumbprint cookies to Santa Land and holiday window display relics, Mayor Bill Peduto wants to make sure that treasured artifacts from Downtown Macy’s outlive the store itself.
In a letter to the department store chain sent late last week, the mayor requested that “all artifacts of historical value … be preserved, maintained, and ultimately made available for the public to view.” He also asked that any artifacts already sold be reacquired and that no others be offered for sale.
“The citizens of Pittsburgh have a deep connection to the Kaufmann’s/Macy’s building and it is critical that we honor and maintain that connection by preserving the historical artifacts for the public to view either on site or at the Heinz History Center,” Mr. Peduto wrote.
The mayor’s request comes as Macy’s prepares to close, later this month, the grand store — one that has created memories for generations of Pittsburghers with its shopping, restaurants and window displays; visits from Santa; and famous clock at Fifth Avenue and Smithfield Street. For more than a century, it was known as Kaufmann’s before being acquired by Macy’s in 2005.
In his letter, Mr. Peduto said the city would like Core Realty — the Philadelphia developer that bought the building for $15 million with plans to convert it to apartments, a hotel and retail space — to incorporate places in the redevelopment areas where the public can view the artifacts.
Other artifacts should be donated to the Sen. John Heinz History Center in the Strip District, he wrote.
Among the items the city is seeking to preserve, based on materials reviewed by the history center, are Tic Toc and other Kaufmann’s restaurant menus; Tic Toc table, chairs and clocks; a Kaufmann’s exterior brass store plaque; a salon chair; the Arcade Bakery icing bag as well as a cookie sheet, cake tin and rolling pin; Kaufmann’s employee name tags; and a cash pouch with “Kaufmann’s” on it.
It also is interested in physical elements of Santa Land or other iconic store window or store holiday display pieces, including animated figures; jeweler’s tools; a three-piece employee time clock on the 13th floor; and foot measuring tools for adults and children from the shoe department.
Kevin Acklin, Mr. Peduto’s chief of staff, said the mayor stepped in with the letter because “we were recently notified by Core that Macy’s and its contractor were attempting to strip away and sell off some of these historical items identified by Heinz.”
But Elina Kazan, a Macy’s spokeswoman, said it was always the chain’s intent to preserve the building’s artifacts. Macy’s has its own archivist sorting through material and has already started conversations with “key institutions” in Pittsburgh, including the history center, about safeguarding materials, she said.
“We knew the store housed a lot of history in it and it is an ongoing process. We respect the legacy of Kaufmann’s and what the Downtown building signifies. We are exploring every avenue to allow Pittsburghers to still experience and enjoy it,” she said.
Macy’s, Ms. Kazan said, is “open to exploring all of the options,” including working with Core on a possible display. She said the chain also wants to preserve some of the Kaufmann’s materials for its own archives. She said she was not aware of any artifacts being sold.
“It’s always been our intention to uphold and preserve that legacy. We know that building and its history are important to Pittsburgh,” she said.
Randy Mineo, Core’s executive vice president of leasing, said the firm definitely is interested in setting aside a place in the redeveloped building to display Kaufmann’s and Macy’s artifacts for the public. Core already has identified a possible permanent location for such a display.
“We actively and aggressively have tried to control as much of the artifacts as possible, and we would like to keep them for public viewing. Everything the mayor said is right on target with what we want to do there,” he said.
The city also is negotiating with Macy’s to get the rights to the Tic Toc and Arcade names in hopes that both will be used as part of the redevelopment.
First Published: September 16, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
