Southeast Financial Center Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Southeast Financial Center

Former names	Southeast Financial Center (1984-1992, 2011-) First Union Financial Center (1992-2003) Wachovia Financial Center (2003-2011)
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Commercial offices
Location	200 South Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, Florida
Coordinates	25°46′20″N 80°11′16″W / 25.772255°N 80.187677°W / 25.772255; -80.187677
Construction started	December 12, 1981
Completed	October 23, 1984
Owner	Amancio Ortega
Management	Jones Lang LaSalle
Height
Roof	233 m (764 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	55
Floor area	1,199,990 sq ft (111,483 m²)
Design and construction
Architect	Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Edward Charles Bassett Spillis, Candela and Partners, Inc.
Developer	Gerald D. Hines Interests Southeast Bank Corporation Corporate Property Investors
Structural engineer	Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

The Southeast Financial Center is a very tall building in Miami, Florida, United States. It's made up of a 765-foot (233-meter) office skyscraper and a 15-story parking garage. This building has had a few names over the years! It was first called the Southeast Financial Center (from 1984 to 1992). Then it became the First Union Financial Center (1992-2003), and later the Wachovia Financial Center (2003-2011). In 2011, it got its original name back.

When it was finished in 1983, it was the tallest building south of New York City and east of the Mississippi River. It was the tallest building in the southeastern U.S. until 1987. It also held the title of the tallest building in Florida until 2003. Today, it is still the tallest office tower in Florida. It is also the third tallest building in Miami.

How the Building Was Made
A Look Back in Time
Who Works There?
Gallery
See also

How the Building Was Made

The Southeast Financial Center was built in just three years. More than 500 construction workers helped create it. They used a lot of materials! About 6,650 tons of steel, 80,000 cubic yards of concrete, and 7,000 tons of reinforcing steel bars went into its construction.

The main tower has a special structure. Its outside columns and beams are made of steel covered in concrete. The inside floors are made of steel beams with metal and concrete on top. The center of the building has a strong steel frame. This frame helps the building stand strong against wind. Workers finished one floor every five days!

The smaller building, which holds the banking hall and parking, is made of concrete. Each floor is almost an acre of concrete poured all at once. The building was recognized as Miami's first office building to get a special "LEED Gold" award in 2010. This award means it's very good for the environment.

A Look Back in Time

This big building project cost about $180 million. It was built by a team that included Gerald D. Hines Interests and Southeast Bank. It was first meant to be the main office for Southeast Bank. The bank used half of the building's space. Southeast Bank stayed there until 1991.

The Southeast Financial Center has two main parts. There's the 55-story office tower and the 15-story parking building. The tower has 53 floors of offices. The first floor has shops, and the second floor is the main lobby. The 55th floor used to be home to a fancy club called the Miami City Club.

The parking building has 12 floors for 1,150 cars. Its first floor also has shops. The second floor is a banking hall, and the 15th floor has a sports club. A beautiful outdoor plaza sits between the office tower and the parking building. A covered walkway connects the second floors of both buildings. This walkway helps protect people from the weather.

Construction on the complex started on December 12, 1981. The building officially opened on October 23, 1984.

The Southeast Financial Center was designed by Edward Charles Bassett. He worked for a company called Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The building has over 1.1 million square feet of office space. Each office floor has big windows that are 9 feet by 9 feet. From the top floor, you can see very far!

You can see the Southeast Financial Center from as far away as Ft. Lauderdale. You could even see space shuttle launches from Cape Canaveral (200 miles away) from the higher floors! The building's roof was even in a movie called Drop Zone. It also appeared in many episodes of the 1980s TV show Miami Vice.

In 2016, Zara founder Amancio Ortega bought the building. He paid over $500 million for it. This was one of the biggest real estate deals in South Florida's history.