Professional Building (Phoenix, Arizona) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Professional Building |
|
|---|---|
Professional Building
|
|
| General information | |
| Location | North Central Avenue and Monroe Street Phoenix |
| Coordinates | 33°27′00″N 112°04′25″W / 33.4501°N 112.0735°W |
| Construction started | 1931 |
| Completed | 1932 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 171 ft (52 m) |
| Top floor | 12 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 12 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Morgan, Walls & Clements |
The Professional Building is a famous skyscraper in Phoenix, Arizona. It was built in 1932 and stands 171 feet (52 meters) tall. This building has a cool Art Deco style, which means it has lots of sharp angles and steps in its design. It has a main tower that rises from a two-story base, with an extra section on its west side. The entrances on Central Avenue and Monroe Street have fancy metal designs above the doors. For many years, from 1932 until the 1990s, it was an office building. After being empty for about 20 years, it reopened as a hotel in 2015.
Contents
History of the Professional Building
Building for Doctors and a Bank
In 1930, a group of doctors in Maricopa County needed a big building. They wanted a place for medical, dental, and lab offices. At the same time, the Valley Bank was planning to build its main office. So, they decided to team up! The Professional Building was built to meet the needs of both the doctors and the bank.
When the building was finished in February 1932, the Valley Bank moved in. They used the first three floors. Doctors' offices filled the top seven floors.
Changes Over Time
In 1958, something new was added to the top of the tower. It was a huge, rotating sign for the Valley National Bank. This sign was 49 feet wide! You could see it from many miles away.
Also in 1958, another floor was added to the western part of the building. This new floor looks a bit different. It has a lot of glass and sticks out from the main tower. You can even see the building and its rotating sign in the opening scene of the 1960 movie Psycho!
In 1972, the Valley Bank moved to a new, taller building. This new building was right across the street. It is now known as Chase Tower.
Becoming a Historic Place
After the bank left, fewer and fewer people used the Professional Building. Even so, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 8, 1993. This means it is an important historical site.
By the early 2000s, the building had been empty for years. The big rotating sign had also been taken down.
From Empty Building to Hotel
In 2005, a company called Grace Communities bought the building. They wanted to turn it into a fancy hotel called Hotel Monroe. Some work started in 2007, and much of the inside was taken out. But the project stopped because the company that was lending money had problems.
In 2013, another company, CSM Lodging, bought the building. They paid $7.9 million for it. The building was completely made new from 2014 to 2015. It got help from different groups to pay for the changes.
Finally, in December 2015, the building opened as a Hilton Garden Inn hotel. The renovation finished in 2016. A special opening ceremony was held on May 19, 2016. The building now has 170 hotel rooms.
See also
In Spanish: Professional Building (Phoenix) para niños
