First National Center (Oklahoma City)

Last updated
First National Center
First national center oklahoma city.jpg
Looking southeast in 2023
First National Center (Oklahoma City)
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeApartments
Hotel
Retail
Restaurants
Architectural styleArt Deco, Neoclassical
Location120 N. Robinson Ave.,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
United States
Coordinates 35°28′06″N97°30′58″W / 35.46833°N 97.51611°W / 35.46833; -97.51611
Opening1931
Cost$5,000,000
Height
Roof406 ft (124 m)
Technical details
Floor count33
Floor area497,371 square feet (46,200 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s) Weary & Alford Company
Main contractorManhattan Construction Company
First National Bank and Trust Company Building
NRHP reference No. 100002220 [1]
Added to NRHPMarch 15, 2018
References
[2]

First National Center, formerly known as First National Bank Building, is a prominent mixed-use skyscraper in downtown Oklahoma City. The art deco tower is 406 feet (136 m) tall at the roof, and is 446 feet (150 m) at its spire and contains 33 floors. [3] The building was constructed in 1931 at an original square footage of 451,000 square feet (41,900 m2) by the First National Bank and Trust Company of Oklahoma City. Additions in 1957 and 1972 brought the square footage to 998,000 square feet (92,700 m2) of office space before the 2022 restoration and remodeling reduced it to 497,371 square feet (46,207.3 m2). [4]

Contents

First National Center is currently the third tallest building in Oklahoma City, after the Devon Tower and BancFirst Tower, respectively. The tower is the sixth tallest building in the state of Oklahoma. The tower has a notable architectural resemblance to the Empire State Building in New York City.

The First National Center is connected to adjacent buildings in the downtown area via the Oklahoma City Underground series of tunnels and elevated walkways.

History

The owner of the building was the First National Bank Corporation for use by the First National Bank and Trust Company of Oklahoma City. The bank's president E.P. Johnson and stockholders S.M. Gloyd, W.T. Hales, H.R. Hudson, R.A. Vose, and H.M. Johnson comprised the building's ownership and underwrote the construction. The building was built by Manhattan Construction Company. The cost of the building was $5 million.

Work began in September 1930, with the demolition of several smaller buildings on the site. By January 1931, the site was clear, and construction on the tower began February 1 and was completed by November of the same year. The bank moved into the building on December 14, 1931. When it was completed, the 33-story skyscraper was declared to be the fourth tallest building west of the Mississippi River.

In 1957, the 14-story First National Office Building was completed on the east side of the tower, and in 1972 an adjoining 14-story L-shaped annex was added that went east to Broadway Avenue. [5]

Among many businesses of early day Oklahoma City, the Beacon Club was once located at the top of the building.

The First National Bank Corporation ran into troubled times in the 1980s, and failed. However, due to Oklahoma's liberalization of interstate banking, First Interstate Bank of Los Angeles assumed the assets of First National upon its failure in 1985, and opened under their new name the following day. At the time, First National's failure was the largest bank in the nation to have sought FDIC protection. First Interstate operated the bank until 1991, when they sold it off to Boatmen's Bancshares of St. Louis.

Looking northwest. First national center okc.jpg
Looking northwest.

In May 1992, Boatmen's announced it would vacate the building and the banking lobby. Boatmen's had acquired Leadership Bank, and chose to utilize their headquarters in Leadership Square to the immediate northwest of First National Center. Boatmen's was later acquired by NationsBank - now Bank of America - and retains the Leadership Square headquarters for their Oklahoma City operations. Since Boatmen's departure, no bank has utilized First National Center. The building was sold to a California buyer for $21 million, with plans of a major renovation of the property. The buyer was organized as two separate entities, First National I, LLC and First National II, LLC, both of which are part of the Milbank Real Estate Group, led by chief executive officer Aaron Yashouafar. [6] Renovations begun, with plans to restore it to its 1930s glory. The buyer, however, ran out of money and filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma in October 2010. [6] After filing for bankruptcy, restoration activities within the building ceased until 2017, leaving the building in apparent disrepair due to the halfway completed construction projects. The famous "Great Banking Hall" was, and continues to be, used for various social events, galas, balls, and proms.

In 2007, the building had a 40% occupancy rate. By 2016, the occupancy rate had dropped to less than 20%. [7]

In August 2015, state agencies that had leased space within the building announced emergency relocations due to deteriorating conditions, including non-functioning elevators and an imminent air conditioning cutoff due to unpaid bills. [8] On September 3, 2015, U.S. Federal Judge Stephen P. Friot ordered that the building be placed in receivership and for air conditioning and elevator service be restored as soon as possible. [9]

At night with multi-colored lighting. First National Center OKC at night.jpg
At night with multi-colored lighting.
West facade and main entrance. First National Center OKC entrance.jpg
West facade and main entrance.
A restaurant named "Tellers" now occupies the former main banking hall (2021 photo). Tellers restaurant in former main banking hall of First National Bank Building, Oklahoma City (2022).jpg
A restaurant named "Tellers" now occupies the former main banking hall (2021 photo).

In January 2017, the sale was finalized to local developers Gary Brooks and Charlie Nicholas for $23 million with plans to restore for use as a hotel, apartments, and offices. [10] The cost to renovate and remodel the building into 146 hotel rooms, [11] 193 apartments, retail and restaurant space, and to convert the 1957 and 1972 14-story additions into a 700-space parking garage was more than $275 million. [12] The restoration included repair to murals, decorative painted ceilings, stone columns, cast stone, metal finishes, vault doors and safes. The basement and ground floor will be a mixture of retail, restaurant and commercial spaces. The Great Banking Hall has been restored and is utilized as a public lobby and event space. [13] The hotel is an Autograph Collection named 'The National' while the apartments are 'The First Residences at First National'. First National Center reopened in April 2022.

Architecture

Aluminum relief panels above the main entrance First National Center, Oklahoma City - ornamental aluminum panels above west entrance (2022).jpg
Aluminum relief panels above the main entrance

First National Center was built with an Art Deco, Neoclassical style inside and out, featuring polished aluminum, granite, glass and several varieties of marble from around the world. Rising 446 feet above the sidewalk, the building was topped out with an aluminum aviation tower and a red beacon light above a polished aluminum notched roof line. The aviation tower originally housed a massive white rotating beacon that was visible for 75 miles. When radio navigation superseded visual navigation after WWII, the powerful white was replaced with a lower-power red warning light. The 32nd floor was a public observation deck. One of First National's most distinctive features is its night lighting, where the upper-story setbacks are lit white. There have been times when the lighting has changed - after 9/11, the setbacks were lit in red, white and blue tiers - which is still done on July 4. For many years, a cross was created by lighting office windows during Christmas. This is no longer done due to the fact that later construction obscures the First National from many views, but it has been taken up by the SandRidge and Chase Towers.

The Weary & Alford Company of Chicago designed First National Center, as well as other bank buildings around the country. Manhattan Construction Co. built First National's tower, and F.H. Beaumont of Oklahoma City supervised the majority of the building's construction. Murals depicting Oklahoma's history in the four corners of the banking lobby were painted by Chicago artist Edgar Spier Cameron. [14]

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.

Tenants

Events

On June 22, 2006, the tower experienced an electrical fire in its basement and was evacuated for the workday. There were no long-term effects from the fire. A section of Robinson Avenue adjacent to the building was temporarily closed.

On November 5, 2017, a fire broke out on the 26th floor of the tower.

On December 9, 2017, a fire broke out on the 7th floor of the tower.

See also

Preceded by Tallest Buildings in Oklahoma City
1931—1971
136m		Succeeded by

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comerica Bank Tower</span> Headquarters of Comerica bank and skyscraper in Dallas, Texas

Comerica Bank Tower is a 60-story postmodern skyscraper located at 1717 Main Street in the Main Street District in downtown Dallas, Texas. Standing at a structural height of 787 feet (240 m), it is the third tallest skyscraper in the city of Dallas. It is also the sixth tallest building in Texas and the 61st tallest building in the United States. The building was designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee, and was completed in 1987. The structure has 1,500,000 square feet (100,000 m2) of office space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Seasons Hotel Miami</span> Mixed-use skyscraper in Miami, Florida

The Four Seasons Hotel and Tower, also known as the Four Seasons Hotel Miami, is a 70-story, 781 feet (238 m) skyscraper in Miami, Florida. Located in downtown Miami's Brickell Financial District, it is the third tallest building in Miami and in Florida. The tower contains a Four Seasons Hotel property, office space and several residential condominium units on the upper floors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southeast Financial Center</span> Real estate development in Miami, Florida

Southeast Financial Center is a two-acre development in Miami, Florida, United States. It consists of a 765 feet (233 m) tall office skyscraper and its 15-story parking garage. It was previously known as the Southeast Financial Center (1984–1992), the First Union Financial Center (1992–2003) and the Wachovia Financial Center (2003–2011). In 2011, it retook its old name of Southeast Financial Center as Wachovia merged with Wells Fargo and moved to the nearby Wells Fargo Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LeVeque Tower</span> Skyscraper in Columbus, Ohio

The LeVeque Tower is a 47-story skyscraper in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. At 555 feet 5 inches (169.29 m) it was the tallest building in the city from its completion in 1927 to 1974, and remains the second-tallest today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BOK Tower</span> Tallest commercial skyscraper building in Tulsa, Oklahoma

BOK Tower is a skyscraper in Downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. At 667 feet (203 m) in height, the 52-story tower was the tallest building in Oklahoma until surpassed by Devon Tower in 2011. It was built in 1976 and designed by Minoru Yamasaki & Associates, the same architect who designed the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York City. This structure is based closely on Tower 1; former CEO John Williams liked the design of the WTC so much he hired the same architect to build him a 1/2 scale model of Tower 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Truist Center</span> Skyscraper in Charlotte, North Carolina

The Truist Center is a 47-story, 659 feet (201 m) skyscraper in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. The city's third tallest building, it is located along North Tryon Street. It was opened on November 14, 2002, and was the city's second tallest building, and was known as the "Hearst Tower" until 2019. The structure is composed of a 32-story tower resting atop a 15-floor podium. During Bank of America's occupancy in the building located on the podium was a three-story trading facility designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and operated by Bank of America. The trading facility included a 6,000-square-foot (560 m2), two-story trading floor. Now the former trading floor is part of Truist's 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) technology innovation center. The building is currently the headquarters of Truist Financial, which purchased the building in March 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BancFirst Tower</span> Office skyscraper located in Oklahoma Citys central business district

BancFirst Tower, is a signature office skyscraper in Oklahoma City's central business district. Previously known as Liberty Tower, Bank One Tower then Chase Tower, and most recently Cotter Ranch Tower/Cotter Tower, after real estate holdings owner James Cotter of San Antonio, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty Place</span> Skyscraper complex in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Liberty Place is a skyscraper complex in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The complex is composed of a 61-story, 945-foot (288 m) skyscraper called One Liberty Place, a 58-story, 848-foot (258 m) skyscraper called Two Liberty Place, a two-story shopping mall called the Shops at Liberty Place, and the 14-story Westin Philadelphia Hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PSFS Building</span> Skyscraper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Loews Philadelphia Hotel, previously known as the PSFS Building, is a skyscraper in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A National Historic Landmark, the building was the first International style skyscraper constructed in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First National Bank Tower, Dallas</span> Skyscraper in Dallas Texas

The National is a 52-story, 191 m (627 ft) skyscraper in the Main Street district of downtown Dallas, Texas, adjacent to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Akard Station. It is the tenth tallest building in the city. In January 2010 the building was closed due to low occupancy rates. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic Center</span> United States historic place

Republic Center is a mixed-use complex at 300 N. Ervay Street and 325 N. St. Paul Street in the City Center District of downtown Dallas, Texas (USA), adjacent to Thanks-giving Square. The complex is located diagonally across the street from DART's St. Paul Station, which serves its Blue, Red, Orange, and Green light rail lines. It also contains part of the Dallas Pedestrian Network, with shops and restaurants in the lower levels of the building and is connected to the Bullington Truck Terminal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1600 Pacific Tower</span> Skyscraper in Dallas Texas

1600 Pacific Tower, also known as the LTV Tower, is a skyscraper in the City Center District of Dallas, Texas, USA. The building rises 434 feet. The structure contains 33 floors, made up originally of office space, standing as the 29th-tallest building in the city. The building is adjacent to Thanks-Giving Square and was, for a time, connected to the Dallas Pedestrian Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manhattan Building (Muskogee, Oklahoma)</span> United States historic place

The Manhattan Building, also known as the Phoenix Building or the Phoenix-Manhattan Building, is a historic skyscraper in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The building has eight stories, containing 50,957 square feet (4,734.1 m2) of floor space, and was initially intended as the home of the Manhattan Construction Company, reportedly Oklahoma's first incorporated business. It was built in 1911 with a reinforced concrete frame and gray brick cladding. These walls were lined with windows to provide light and ventilation, the latter were essential to cope with torrid Oklahoma summers in an era when hardly any large buildings had air conditioning. It was built in Sullivanesque architectural style, with two-story columns flanking the entrance and a second floor cornice with dentils. The entry opened into a two-story lobby whose walls were covered with tile. A rooftop penthouse was added in 1957. The Manhattan Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places for architectural significance in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">525 William Penn Place</span> Skyscraper located in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

525 William Penn Place is a skyscraper located in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was completed in 1951 for the Mellon National Bank and the U.S. Steel Corporation. At 520 feet (160 m) tall, it was the second-tallest building in Pittsburgh until 1970, and the third-tallest until 1984. The building has 41 floors and approximately 950,000 square feet (88,000 m2) of office space. Presently it is the third-largest office building by square feet in downtown Pittsburgh. In 2016, BNY Mellon sold the building for $67.65 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devon Energy Center</span> Tallest building in Oklahoma

The Devon Energy Center is a 50-story corporate skyscraper in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It is the tallest building in the city and state, though it has fewer floors than the 52-story BOK Tower in Tulsa. It is tied with Park Tower in Chicago as the 72nd tallest building in the United States; at its completion Devon Tower was tied as the 39th tallest. Construction began October 6, 2009, and was completed in October 2012. The tower is located next to the historic Colcord Hotel, which Devon currently owns, on Sheridan Avenue between Hudson and Robinson Avenues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strata Tower (Oklahoma City)</span> Office in Oklahoma , United States

Strata Tower at Oklahoma Commons is a prominent skyscraper in the central business district of downtown Oklahoma City, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The tower has 30 floors and is 393 feet (120 m) tall, making it the sixth-tallest building in Oklahoma City and the eleventh-tallest in the state. It was the headquarters of gas production and exploration company SandRidge Energy Corporation. In January 2010, SandRidge announced a $100 million renovation, designed by Rogers Marvel Architects, for the building and four other buildings to be called SandRidge Commons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Founders Tower (Oklahoma City)</span> Residential in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Founders Tower is a Googie-style residential skyscraper located northwest of downtown Oklahoma City in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The tower is one of the most well-known landmarks in the city skyline. It has a height of 275 feet (84 m) and 20 stories, with a restaurant called 360 featuring 360-degree panoramic views of Oklahoma City on its top floor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comcast Technology Center</span> Skyscraper in Philadelphia

The Comcast Technology Center is a supertall skyscraper in Center City Philadelphia. The 60-floor building, with a height of 1,121 feet (342 m), is the tallest building in both Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania and the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere outside of Manhattan and Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legends Tower</span> Proposed skyscraper in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Legends Tower is an approved supertall skyscraper to be built in the Bricktown entertainment district of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. The 134-story building would stand 1,907 feet (581 m) tall, a reference to Oklahoma's admission to the Union in 1907. Developed by real estate firm Matteson Capital and architecture firm AO, Legends Tower would be the centerpiece of the planned mixed-use development The Boardwalk at Bricktown.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. ↑ "First National Center". SkyscraperPage .
  3. ↑ "First National Center, Oklahoma City". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  4. ↑ https://www.scsengineers.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/FNC_ABCA.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  5. ↑ "First National Center".
  6. 1 2 Lackmeyer, Steve. "Owners of First National Center in Oklahoma City Declare Chapter 11 Bankruptcy". Daily Oklahoman. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  7. ↑ "O'Connor: Historic renovation encourages new development". 26 October 2016.
  8. ↑ Lackmeyer, Steve. "State of Oklahoma verifies agencies' plan to make immediate emergency moves from First National Center," The Oklahoman, NewsOK, August 24, 2015, Accessed September 3, 2015.
  9. ↑ Lackmeyer, Steve. "Judge orders First National to immediate receivership; restoration of air conditioning, elevator service priority," The Oklahoman, NewsOK, September 3, 2015. Accessed September 3, 2015.
  10. ↑ "First National Center sale closes in downtown Oklahoma City". NewsOK.com. 2017-01-12. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
  11. ↑ https://www.thenationalokc.com/about [ bare URL ]
  12. ↑ "After painstaking restoration, First National Center opens Tuesday | the Journal Record". 9 April 2022.
  13. ↑ "Portfolio | Coury Hospitality". couryhospitality.com. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
  14. ↑ Lackmeyer, Steve and Brianna Bailey. "Heat loss: Heat, humidity threaten artwork in First National's great hall," The Oklahoman, NewsOK, September 3, 2015. Accessed September 3, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.