Ted Weiss Federal Building facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ted Weiss Federal Building
Main entrance
Alternative names	Foley Square Federal Building
General information
Location	290 Broadway New York, NY, United States
Current tenants	IRS, EPA, GAO
Named for	Ted Weiss
Construction started	1991
Completed	1994
Opened	1995
Cost	$292,000,000
Owner	General Services Administration
Height
Roof	475 ft (145 m)
Technical details
Floor count	34
Floor area	939,689 sq ft (87,300.0 m2)
Design and construction
Architect	Hellmuth Obata & Kassabaum
Developer	Linpro New York Realty
Main contractor	Tishman Construction

The Ted Weiss Federal Building is a tall, 34-story building in New York City. It is also known as the Foley Square Federal Building. You can find it at 290 Broadway in the Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan.

This important building is right next to the African Burial Ground National Monument. It opened in 1995. The building is named after Ted Weiss, who was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York.

Many important U.S. government offices are located here. These include the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which handles taxes, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which protects our environment, and the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which checks how the government spends money.

Building History: What Happened Here?

The idea for this building started in 1988. The General Services Administration (GSA), which manages U.S. government buildings, asked for plans. They wanted two buildings: one for a federal courthouse and another for government offices.

Discovering the African Burial Ground

In October 1991, something very important was found. Workers doing an archeological survey discovered human remains buried in the ground. An earlier study had not expected to find anything because the area had been developed for a long time.

At first, the GSA planned to carefully remove all the remains. They found the remains of 420 people. But soon, it became clear that the burial ground was much larger than expected. In 1992, people protested because some burials were disturbed during construction.

The GSA stopped construction to study the site more carefully. They provided more money for archeologists to find and study other remains. After many discussions, the building plans were changed. An original plan for a public pavilion was removed. Instead, a tall, arched indoor space was built inside the building.

About the Building's Design

The Ted Weiss Federal Building has a modern Federal architecture style. It has two main parts: a tall office tower and a smaller, three-story building for special uses. The office tower is 30 stories high. It also has two levels for machinery on top and two parking levels underground.

What the Building Looks Like

The outside of the tall building is covered with special granite stone panels. It has many aluminum windows. On top of the building, there's an open, arched structure. This sits on top of a stone-covered box that holds the building's mechanical systems.

Inside the office building, there's a fitness center and a main machinery room on the mezzanine level. Floors 3 through 29 are typical office floors with high ceilings. The 30th floor has a large conference center with meeting rooms.

The sidewalks around the building are made of special colored concrete that matches the building. Trees are planted along the streets with custom-designed grates around them.

Amazing Artwork Inside

There's a special rule for new U.S. Federal buildings. A small part of the construction cost (0.5%) is used for "Art-in-Architecture" projects. This means the Ted Weiss Federal Building has several beautiful artworks.

You can see the Roger Brown Mosaic next to the African American Burial Ground. The American Song sculpture by Clyde Lynd is at the building's entrance. In the lobby, there's a bronze memorial called Africa Rising by Barbara Chase-Riboud. You can also find the silk screen canvas Renewal by Tomie Arai. Finally, the New Ring Shout is in the central rotunda. This piece was created by sculptor Houston Conwill, architect Joseph De Pace, and poet Estella Conwill Majozo.

Gallery

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  Africa Rising by Barbara Chase-Riboud

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  New Ring Shout by Houston Conwill, Joseph De Pace, and Estella Conwill

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  Renewal by Tomie Arai

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  American Song by Clyde Lynd