Federal Office Building (Omaha, Nebraska)

Federal Office Building
The Federal Office Building upon completion in 1934
General information
TypeHotel
Location106 South 15th Street, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Coordinates41°15′34″N 95°56′10″W / 41.259472477435914°N 95.93617544983643°W / 41.259472477435914; -95.93617544983643
Technical details
Floor count13
Design and construction
Architect(s)Thomas R. Kimball,
William L. Steele,
Josiah D. Sandham,
George B. Prinz.
Federal Office Building
Built1932–1934
Architectural styleStripped classical with Art Deco elements
NRHP reference No.09000131
Added to NRHPMarch 17, 2009

The Federal Office Building, also known as the Old Federal Building, is a thirteen story, stripped classical style building with Art Deco elements located in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska.[2] The building was designed and built from 1932–34 by architects Thomas R. Kimball, William L. Steele, and Josiah D. Sandham as part of the firm Kimball, Steele & Sandham, and associated architect George B. Prinz. It was built on the site of first U.S Courthouse and Post Office. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 19, 2009 and was converted into a hotel in 2013.

History

The Federal Office Building was announced in March 1929 to consolidate several agencies into one space.[3] The building received federal approval in February 1931.[4] Later that month, construction was delayed due to opposition to the United States Department of War.[5] Development officially began in May 1931.[6] Site preparation was completed in February 1932 and construction began shortly after.[7] The building was officially dedicated in February 1934.[8]

In 1995, the building was allegedly examined as a target by Timothy McVeigh prior to his involvement in the Oklahoma City Bombing. However, the FBI said there was little evidence to prove that he was in fact in the building.[9]

In July 2008, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the final occupant of the building, moved out of the building.[10] On March 17, 2009, the Federal Office Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was put up for sale.[11]

In December 2011, the building was sold to developers who planned on turning it into a 152-room Residence Inn by Marriott. The $23 million hotel opened to guests in October 2013. In order to keep the building on the NRHP, the exterior facade remains the same, as do some of the original interior features, such as terrazzo marble floors.[10][12]

Design

The Federal Office Building is 13 stories tall and its architectural style is striped classical with Art Deco elements. The building was designed by Thomas R. Kimball, William L. Steele, and Josiah D. Sandham as part of the firm Kimball, Steele & Sandham, and associated architect George B. Prinz.[2]

Tenants

Part of the New Deal building program, the structure's original occupants were all federal agencies including the US Weather Bureau, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Department of Agriculture, Civil Service Commission, Customs Service, Army, and Navy. The federal District Court for Nebraska met in the building until the late 1950s or early 1960s.

The US Army Corps of Engineers was the last federal agency officed in the building. Since their departure in July 2008, it has not been in use by the federal government.[10] After its sale in 2011, the building is currently a 152-room Residence Inn.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Nebraska National Register Sites in Douglas County". Lincoln, Nebraska: Nebrasksa State Historical Society. Archived from the original on April 12, 2000. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Old Federal Building". Buildings. Frankfort, Germany: Emporis. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  3. ^ "ASK U.S. TO BUILD NEAR BEE-NEWS". The Omaha Evening Bee-News. March 21, 1929. p. 1. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  4. ^ "Good News for Omaha". Omaha World-Herald. February 24, 1931. p. 14. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  5. ^ "OMAHA HOPEFUL OF FEDERAL BUILDING". The Columbus Telegram. February 23, 1931. p. 5. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  6. ^ "WORK TO BEGIN ON FEDERAL BUILDING". Lincoln Journal Star. May 9, 1931. p. 10. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  7. ^ "PLAN NEW OMAHA FEDERAL BUILDING". The Lincoln Star. February 26, 1932. p. 6. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  8. ^ "FEDERAL BUILDING OMAHA DEDICATED". The Lincoln Star. February 28, 1934. p. 5. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  9. ^ writer, Henry J. Cordes World-Herald staff (April 19, 2020). "Did Timothy McVeigh case out Omaha as target? Ex-ATF officer thinks so". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c Gonzalez, Cindy (March 18, 2012). "Federal building to get new life as hotel". Omaha World Herald. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
  11. ^ "New Deal building may find new role". Omaha World-Herald. April 4, 2009. p. 6. Retrieved July 20, 2025.
  12. ^ a b "Old federal building turns into Residence Inn". KETV. Omaha, NE. October 24, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Federal Office Building (Omaha, Nebraska).
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.