Photography by Sean Corcoran
For months—no, actually years—395 Broadway, located on the corner of Saratoga’s main drag and Division Street, has been under construction. Then, slowly, without much fanfare, the heavy machinery began to disappear, the adjacent sidewalks reopened, and the fence around the property was taken down. At press time there was still paper in the first-floor windows (what will come of those spaces has yet to be seen), but the completely renovated building, which I’m very proud to have played a role in designing, is now serving its intended purpose as the headquarters of Prime Group Holdings.
“Saratoga has always been central to us and is where our leadership is based,” says Bob Moser, owner and founder of Prime Group, a real estate private equity firm with more than 150 local employees and investments across the US, Canada, and the Caribbean, with expansion into Europe on the horizon. “Establishing our headquarters on Broadway reflects both the growth of the firm and our continued commitment to the Saratoga community.”
But Prime Group is just the latest entity to inhabit that bustling Saratoga corner. Before we look inside, we must look back…
A Brief History
Long before it was the structure we know today, the 395 Broadway location was part of the grounds of the Grand Union Hotel, the 19th century resort built by Gideon Putnam that helped establish Saratoga as one of America’s great destinations. At its height, the hotel stretched across several acres on Broadway and was at one time considered the largest hotel in the world.
After the Grand Union was dismantled in 1953, 395 Broadway took form. It housed the E-Z Laundromat, Pope’s Pizza, and the Red Barn restaurant, according to Saratoga Today, before it became the Borders bookstore many Saratogians remember. I would bring my young sons there, and would sit with friends on a bench, coffee in hand, while the children gathered for story time. Architecturally, the building was straightforward and utilitarian, yet it held something far more meaningful: community.
After Borders closed in 2011, Fingerpaint Marketing infused the space with creative energy. The interiors reflected innovation and modern momentum, mirroring Saratoga’s own evolution into a city defined as much by entrepreneurship as by tradition. The building adapted to its time. And so it has once again.
Vision and Responsibility
In selecting 395 Broadway as the headquarters of Prime, Moser and his wife, Lisa, understood the responsibility that comes with stewarding a new era of a longstanding property in a historic district.
“Prime Group’s scale comes from a disciplined approach to how we build and manage the business,” Moser says. “Establishing our headquarters on Broadway reflects that same thinking—a setting with a long-standing architectural presence, a deep historical legacy, and a clear standard.”
Design Reflection
To make the renovation happen, the Mosers worked with Balzer & Tuck Architecture, SEI Design Group, and my own firm, Beverly Tracy Home Design. Our role was to ensure the interiors of the office carried the same sense of authority as the exterior, and would endure as long, too.
We selected every material not only for immediate impact, but for how it would age—how it would deepen in tone and character over time. Handcrafted Italian marble anchors key spaces. Natural stone introduces quiet grace into a corporate environment. Custom-fabricated walnut millwork brings warmth and depth, the richness of the wood balancing the cool refinement of stone. Furniture crafted in England reinforces the space’s sense of longevity. Refined fabrics and tailored upholstery soften architectural lines without diminishing their discipline.
A Lasting Legacy
What makes this project especially meaningful to me is the fact that I’ve witnessed its architectural evolution firsthand. I’ve known this structure as a bookstore filled with children and stories, as a creative workplace alive with innovation, and now as a composed architectural presence on Broadway.
Legacy is often spoken of abstractly. Here, it’s constructed deliberately—in stone selected for permanence, in walnut crafted with precision, in façades proportioned to hold their place within a historic corridor. “Our headquarters was built with integrity and permanence in mind,” Moser says. “It’s a structure designed to strengthen Broadway for generations.”
