Bank of the West Tower (Albuquerque)

Bank of the West Tower
Bank of the West Tower, seen from the west across San Mateo Blvd.
Former names	First National Bank Building East First Security Bank Building
Record height
Preceded by	Gold Building
Surpassed by	Compass Bank Building
General information
Type	Commercial offices
Location	5301 Central Avenue NE. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Coordinates	35°04′41″N 106°35′09″W / 35.078191°N 106.585732°W / 35.078191; -106.585732Coordinates: 35°04′41″N 106°35′09″W / 35.078191°N 106.585732°W / 35.078191; -106.585732
Completed	1963
Height
Roof	64.9 m (213 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	17
Floor area	106,000 sq ft (9,800 m2)
Design and construction
Architect	Flatow, Moore, Bryan & Fairburn
Developer	Del Webb Corp.
References

Bank of the West Tower is a highrise office building in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is located on Central Avenue some 3.5 mi (5.6 km) east of Downtown. At 64.9 m (213 ft), the 17-story tower was the tallest building in New Mexico when completed in 1963. It is now the fifth tallest building in the state, and the tallest outside of Downtown Albuquerque. The building was developed by the Del Webb Corporation and designed by the architectural firm of Flatow, Moore, Bryan and Fairburn. For most of its history the tower housed a succession of bank branches.

The tower was built by the Del Webb Corporation and originally housed the East Central branch of the First National Bank of New Mexico. The original name of the building was First National Bank Building East to avoid confusion with the bank's main building downtown. Groundbreaking ceremonies took place on July 12, 1961, and the bank was officially opened for business on February 16, 1963. During construction, the builders reportedly attached numbers to the side of the building to prevent drivers from being distracted by trying to count the number of floors.

When completed, the 64.9 m (213 ft) tower surpassed the Gold Building to become the tallest in New Mexico. Its construction, far from the existing highrises downtown, reflected an ongoing shift of people and capital from Albuquerque's decaying city center to the more suburban Northeast Heights. However, with urban renewal efforts underway downtown, the new highrise lost its title as the city's tallest building to the National Building just three years after opening, in 1966. It remains the tallest building in the city outside of Downtown.

First National Bank was purchased by First Security Bank in 1993, and the building's name and signage changed accordingly. The tower was renamed again in 2001 when Bank of the West bought the branch. Bank of the West vacated the building in 2012. It is used by various State departments.