530 B Street

530 B Street
530 B St in 2009
Interactive map of the 530 B Street area
Alternative namesSouthern California First National Bank Building
California First Bank Building
Union Bank of California Building
General information
TypeCommercial offices
Architectural styleInternational style
Location530 B Street
San Diego, California
Coordinates32°43′03″N 117°09′35″W / 32.717514°N 117.159738°W / 32.717514; -117.159738
Construction started1967
Completed1969
OwnerAmbient Communities
Height
Roof388 ft (118 m)
Technical details
Floor count24
Design and construction
ArchitectTucker Sadler Noble Castro Architects
Other information
Parking150[1]
References
[2][3][4]

530 B Street (formerly known as the Union Bank of California Building) is a 27-story, 118.26-metre (388.0 ft) skyscraper in San Diego, California.

History

Completed in 1969,[2] for 20 years the tower stood as the tallest building in San Diego,[5] until the completion of the Symphony Towers in 1989.[6]The building was originally developed as a major banking and commercial office center and served as the headquarters for Union Bank, along with other financial and professional service firms. Its design reflected the International and New Formalism architectural styles common in large U.S. office towers of the late 1960s.

In 2014, Kearny Real Estate Co. acquired the property and undertook a $15 million renovation program that rebranded the asset as Five Thirty B. This overhaul included updated restrooms, a redesigned lobby with public art, a refurbished conference center, and the transformation of the third-floor patio into the 15,000-square-foot Sky Terrace with outdoor gathering spaces and landscaping, which helped boost occupancy from around 50 % to nearly 78 %.[7]

In 2016, Vancouver-based Bosa Development purchased the building from Kearny, continuing its role as an office property in the competitive downtown market.[8] Later, the tower changed hands again; in 2024, Ambient Communities acquired the building for approximately $27.5 million and announced intentions to explore a future conversion to primarily residential use as part of a broader repositioning strategy amid downtown office vacancy challenges, while U.S. Bank remained as a major tenant. [9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Union Bank of California Building". Skyscraper Center. CTBUH. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Emporis building ID 118031". Emporis. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016.
  3. ^ "530 B Street". SkyscraperPage.
  4. ^ 530 B Street at Structurae
  5. ^ "Older Bank Building May Feel Young Again". San Diego Business Journal. January 17, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  6. ^ "Symphony Towers, Financial District, San Diego, CA (1987-1989)". Pacific Coast Architecture Database. University of Washington. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  7. ^ "Storied downtown SD highrise sold". San Diego Union-Tribune. January 9, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  8. ^ "BOSA Purchases Downtown Office Tower For $53.2M". Bisnow. Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  9. ^ "CBRE Sells a High-Rise Office Tower in Downtown San Diego".