City Place Tower (Oklahoma City)
| City Place | |
|---|---|
 City Place Tower in the CBD of Oklahoma City. | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Office |
| Location | 200 Park Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma  United States |
| Coordinates | 35°28′08″N 97°30′57″W / 35.46889°N 97.51583°W |
| Completed | 1931[1] |
| Opening | 1931[1] |
| Cost | $3M[2] |
| Height | |
| Roof | 440 ft (130 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 33[1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Walter W. Ahlschlager and Clair Drury[2] |
| References | |
| [3] | |
City Place is a skyscraper in downtown Oklahoma City in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. At 440 ft (134m), it is the 4th-largest building in the city and has 33 floors.[1] Finished in 1931,[1] it was Oklahoma City's tallest building before it lost the title to First National Center.[1]
It is currently the 8th tallest building in Oklahoma.
History
Constructed as the Ramsey Tower in 1931 by oilman W.R. Ramsey, City Place was involved in the "Great Race" with the First National Tower to become the first to top out, a race that Ramsey won.[1] The building was constructed in nine months by the Starrett Corporation, known for the construction of the Empire State Building.[4] Ramsey's fortunes were short-lived, victim of the Great Depression, and the building was soon leased to the Anderson-Prichard Company (APCO). The building was later leased to Liberty National Bank, who remained its primary tenant until completion of the Liberty Tower in 1971. During Liberty's tenure, a skybridge was constructed at the 16th floor, connecting it to the Dowell Center. The bridge was, at the time, the highest such structure in the world. After Liberty Bank moved out, City National Bank moved in and constructed what was once the building's most distinctive feature, a rooftop marquee, which was removed when the building was renovated in the 1980s. Another unique feature of City Place is the original fire escape, which is still in use. It consists of a spiral slide traveling the full height of the building. This was supplemented by a traditional staircase during Liberty Bank's tenure. Previous names of the building are: Ramsey Tower, APCO Tower, Liberty Bank Tower, City National Tower, Sonic Plaza, and First City Place.
Architecture
Although it was constructed in the Art Deco style in 1931, the building was renovated in the 1980s, modifying its architectural style by giving it a massive rooftop marquee, now removed.
The building was designed by Walter W. Ahlschlager and Claire Drury.[2]
Notable tenants
Globe Life And Accident Insurance Company has its corporate office in the building. The company is a subsidiary of Torchmark Corporation, based in McKinney, Texas.[5]
UMB Financial Corporation, based in Kansas City, Missouri, has offices in the building.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g City Place, Emporis.com. (accessed October 9, 2013)
- ^ a b c Downtown Oklahoma, okhistory.org (accessed October 9, 2013)
- ^ "City Place Tower". SkyscraperPage.
- ^ City Place History (accessed October 9, 2013)
- ^ Best's Insurance Reports Life/Health United States & Canada 2008 Edition Volume I.