FirstBank Southwest Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids FirstBank Southwest Tower |
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The FirstBank Southwest Tower in downtown Amarillo.
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| Former names | SPS Tower Team Bank building Bank One Center Chase Tower Amarillo Tower |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Modernism |
| Address | 600 South Tyler Street |
| Town or city | Amarillo, Texas |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 35°12′26″N 101°50′20″W / 35.2073°N 101.8390°W |
| Completed | 1971 |
| Height | 374 ft (114 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 31 |
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American National Bank of Amarillo and SPS Tower
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| NRHP reference No. | 100003493 |
| Added to NRHP | March 6, 2019 |
The FirstBank Southwest Tower is a very tall building located in Amarillo, Texas, United States. It stands 374 feet (about 114 meters) high and has 31 stories. This makes it the tallest building in Amarillo and the entire West Texas region. It is also the tallest building you'll find between Las Vegas and Oklahoma City.
Over the years, this building has had several different names. It was once known as SPS Tower, Team Bank building, Bank One Center, Chase Tower, and Amarillo Tower. It used to be home to the Amarillo branch of American National Bank. The building also housed the offices of Southwestern Public Service, which provided electric power to the region.
The FirstBank Southwest Tower looks a lot like another building, the One Financial Plaza in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Our tower is just a little bit taller, by about 3 stories.
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University Classes at the Tower
In October 2008, something new happened at the tower. The letters for West Texas A&M University were put on the building. This was part of an agreement for the university to hold some of its classes there.
New Name and Bank Changes
In 2018, Chase Bank decided to close its branch in the building. Soon after, in June 2018, FirstBank Southwest made a deal. They agreed to open a downtown branch in the tower. As part of this agreement, they also got the rights to name the building.
The government agency, FDIC, approved FirstBank Southwest's plan in October 2018. The bank planned to start operating in the building by mid-2019. In late March 2019, work began to put the new FirstBank Southwest logo signs at the very top of the tower. This process was expected to take about two weeks.
Historic Landmark
The FirstBank Southwest Tower is an important building. On March 6, 2019, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as a significant historical site.
Who Works Here?
Many different businesses and organizations have offices in the FirstBank Southwest Tower. Some of the current tenants include:
- FirstBank Southwest
- The Amarillo Globe-News newspaper
- Cactus Feeders
- Tower Fitness (a gym)
- Tower Cafe (a place to eat)
- The Amarillo Club, which is a dining facility for members only.
