Wells Fargo Plaza (El Paso)

Wells Fargo Plaza
Wells Fargo Plaza lit at night as a Christmas Tree during the holiday season
Map
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeClass A Office Space
Location221 North Kansas Street
GroundbreakingJanuary 30, 1970
Completed1971
Height
Roof302 ft (92 m)
Top floor21
Technical details
Floor count21
Design and construction
Architect(s)Charles Luckman and Associates
Main contractorC. H. Leavell & Co., Robert E. McKee, Inc.

The Wells Fargo Plaza is a high-rise skyscraper located on 221 North Kansas Street in Downtown El Paso, Texas, United States. It opened as the State National Bank Plaza on October 25, 1971. It is 302 feet (92 m) tall.[1] It is designed in the International Style. Originally the tallest tower in El Paso, it was surpassed by the WestStar Tower in 2021.

The tower sits on a base three stories high, then rises to its full height. The repetitive angular windows add another International Style element of blocky appearance and expression of structure.

Ground was broken with a ceremony on January 30, 1971. Construction was handled jointly by two El Paso construction firms, C. H. Leavell & Co. and Robert E. McKee, Inc.[2] Leavell was managing partner of construction with two-thirds of the building contract. McKee held one-third. The two firms agreed to jointly build the structure after bidding identical amounts initially and flipped a coin to determine who would get the controlling two-thirds of the contract.[3]

The tower is lit at night with up to 13 horizontal white lines (originally 17). A U.S. Flag design is used during patriotic holidays, and a Christmas tree design is used during the holiday season. The letters "UTEP" are used during the football and basketball season for the University of Texas at El Paso, and, less frequently, the Texas Tech University logo is also used.

See also

References

  1. ^ Montes, Aaron (May 14, 2018). "It's now 18 stories: Downtown tower plan gets big upgrade". El Paso Inc. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  2. ^ "Jan 31, 1970, page 1 - El Paso Times at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  3. ^ Metz, Leon, Claire (1997). Robert E. McKee Master Builder. El Paso, Texas: Robert E. and Evelyn McKee Foundation. pp. 351–352. ISBN 0-9646793-1-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Preceded by Tallest Building in El Paso
1971—2021
92m 		Succeeded by

31°45′36″N 106°29′10″W / 31.7601°N 106.4860°W / 31.7601; -106.4860


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