City Place Tower (Oklahoma City) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids City Place |
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City Place Tower in the CBD of Oklahoma City.
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Office/Residential |
| 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 |
| Opening | 1931 |
| Cost | $3M |
| Height | |
| Roof | 440 ft (130 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 33 |
| Floor area | 292,305 sq ft (27,156.0 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Walter W. Ahlschlager and Clair Drury |
City Place is a tall building in downtown Oklahoma City, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is 440 feet (134 meters) high and has 33 floors. When it was finished in 1931, it was the tallest building in Oklahoma City for a short time. Later that same year, the First National Center became even taller.
Today, City Place is the 8th tallest building in Oklahoma. In 2010, the top seven floors were changed into six large apartments called condos. The biggest condo takes up the top two floors.
History of City Place Tower
City Place was built in 1931 by an oilman named W.R. Ramsey. It was first called the Ramsey Tower. There was a fun "Great Race" between Ramsey Tower and the First National Tower to see which building would be finished first. Ramsey Tower won this race!
The building was built very quickly, in just nine months. The company that built it, the Starrett Corporation, also helped build the famous Empire State Building.
However, W.R. Ramsey faced tough times because of the Great Depression. This was a period in history when many people lost their jobs and money. Because of this, his company leased the building to the Anderson-Prichard Company (APCO).
Later, Liberty National Bank used the building as its main office until 1971. During this time, a special bridge was built on the 16th floor. This bridge connected City Place to another building nearby. At the time, it was the highest bridge of its kind in the world!
After Liberty Bank moved out, City National Bank moved in. They added a unique sign on the roof, which was later removed when the building was updated in the 1980s.
City Place also has a very cool and old fire escape. It's a spiral slide that goes all the way down the building! A regular staircase was added later for safety. Over the years, the building has had several names, including Ramsey Tower, APCO Tower, Liberty Bank Tower, City National Tower, Sonic Plaza, and First City Place.
Building Design and Style
City Place was built in 1931 in the Art Deco style. This style is known for its fancy designs and geometric shapes. In the 1980s, the building was updated. During this update, a large sign was added to the roof, but it has since been taken down.
The building was designed by two architects, Walter W. Ahlschlager and Claire Drury.
Companies in City Place
Many different companies have offices in City Place. Some of these include:
- Newmark Grubb Levy Strange Beffort, a real estate company.
- Anderson Prichard Oil Corporation, an oil company.
- Oklahoma Commissioners of the Land Office, a state office.
- Oklahoma Department of Securities, another state office.
- UMB Financial Corporation, a financial company.
