909 Walnut
Encyclopedia
909 Walnut is a twin-spire, 32-story, 471 feet (143.6 m) converted structure in Kansas City that is Missouri's tallest apartment building and 10th tallest habitable building in Missouri
. It is also the tallest residential building in the Midwest outside of Chicago.
In 1997 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
The building was built in 1930-31 as the Fidelity National Bank & Trust Building (referred to locally as the Fidelity Building) at an estimated cost of $2,850,000 including bank fixtures. The site had been a two-story post office and federal building until 1904 when Fidelity took over the site for its headquarters. The two-story building was razed in 1930. The new building mimicked the original federal twin spire structure, in an Art Deco
-Gothic Revival
architectural motif..
The building's architect Hoit, Price & Barnes also built landmark Art Deco
buildings nearby in the Kansas City Power and Light Building
and Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City).
The bank was liquidated in 1933 during the Great Depression
.
On June 14, 1946 under Harry S. Truman
, the building was acquired by the United States Federal Government which acquired it at a report price of $3,300,000. It was renamed the Federal Office Building.
In 1954 the headquarters of the newly formed Severe Local Storms Warning Service for the Weather Bureau moved to the building from Washington, D.C.
. A Radome
for a weather radar
was placed between the towers on a steel skeleton rising above the towers creating a landmark that lasted until 1995 when it was removed when the service relocated to Norman, Oklahoma
where it became the Storm Prediction Center
.
Another distinctive landmark was the "town clock" in the north tower which had first started keeping time in the original 1885 post office and was then placed in the tower. A bell cast in 1882 by the McShane Bell Company of Baltimore, Maryland chimed. The clock face has since been removed and replaced by large windows for the highest residential living unit within 5 states. The bell was sold by the former owner in 2000 and whisked away by helicopter in ignominous fashion.
When the government abandoned the building in 1995 it was bought by Northland Management & Investment of Kansas City for $500,000 and remained vacant until being bought in 2000 when Simbol Commercial Inc. of Dallas bought the building for $2,000,000. Following the 911 attacks, the building was renamed from 911 Walnut to 909 Walnut. Simbol was said to have spent $64 million to convert this building and the 929 Walnut Building into 159 apartments, 110000 square feet (10,219.3 m²) of commercial office space and to construct a 323 car public garage. The rooftop of the garage also includes a 12000 square feet (1,114.8 m²) award-winning rooftop garden.
The fourth floor is now the corporate headquarters of Handmark
, a mobile phone software company.
The Second and Third Floors are occupied by Entertainment Properties Trust (NYSE:EPR)
Missouri's Tallest Buildings and Structures
The tallest structures in the U.S. state of Missouri include a broadcasting tower, an chimney, a monument, and a office building.-Missouri's tallest accessible buildings:-Missouri's tallest structures:-Missouri's tallest chimneys:...
. It is also the tallest residential building in the Midwest outside of Chicago.
In 1997 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The building was built in 1930-31 as the Fidelity National Bank & Trust Building (referred to locally as the Fidelity Building) at an estimated cost of $2,850,000 including bank fixtures. The site had been a two-story post office and federal building until 1904 when Fidelity took over the site for its headquarters. The two-story building was razed in 1930. The new building mimicked the original federal twin spire structure, in an Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
-Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
architectural motif..
The building's architect Hoit, Price & Barnes also built landmark Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
buildings nearby in the Kansas City Power and Light Building
Kansas City Power and Light Building
The Kansas City Power and Light Building is a landmark skyscraper located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri...
and Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City).
The bank was liquidated in 1933 during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
On June 14, 1946 under Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
, the building was acquired by the United States Federal Government which acquired it at a report price of $3,300,000. It was renamed the Federal Office Building.
In 1954 the headquarters of the newly formed Severe Local Storms Warning Service for the Weather Bureau moved to the building from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. A Radome
Radome
A radome is a structural, weatherproof enclosure that protects a microwave or radar antenna. The radome is constructed of material that minimally attenuates the electromagnetic signal transmitted or received by the antenna. In other words, the radome is transparent to radar or radio waves...
for a weather radar
Weather radar
Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, estimate its type . Modern weather radars are mostly pulse-Doppler radars, capable of detecting the motion of rain droplets in addition to the...
was placed between the towers on a steel skeleton rising above the towers creating a landmark that lasted until 1995 when it was removed when the service relocated to Norman, Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
where it became the Storm Prediction Center
Storm Prediction Center
The Storm Prediction Center , located in Norman, Oklahoma, is tasked with forecasting the risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in the contiguous United States. The agency issues convective outlooks, mesoscale discussions, and watches as a part of this process...
.
Another distinctive landmark was the "town clock" in the north tower which had first started keeping time in the original 1885 post office and was then placed in the tower. A bell cast in 1882 by the McShane Bell Company of Baltimore, Maryland chimed. The clock face has since been removed and replaced by large windows for the highest residential living unit within 5 states. The bell was sold by the former owner in 2000 and whisked away by helicopter in ignominous fashion.
When the government abandoned the building in 1995 it was bought by Northland Management & Investment of Kansas City for $500,000 and remained vacant until being bought in 2000 when Simbol Commercial Inc. of Dallas bought the building for $2,000,000. Following the 911 attacks, the building was renamed from 911 Walnut to 909 Walnut. Simbol was said to have spent $64 million to convert this building and the 929 Walnut Building into 159 apartments, 110000 square feet (10,219.3 m²) of commercial office space and to construct a 323 car public garage. The rooftop of the garage also includes a 12000 square feet (1,114.8 m²) award-winning rooftop garden.
The fourth floor is now the corporate headquarters of Handmark
Handmark
Handmark is a developer and distributor of mobile content. The company was created in 2000 by the merger of Mobile Generation Software with Palmspring Software....
, a mobile phone software company.
The Second and Third Floors are occupied by Entertainment Properties Trust (NYSE:EPR)