Wells Fargo Plaza (El Paso)

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.

Wells Fargo Plaza
Wells Fargo Plaza lit at night as a Christmas Tree during the holiday season
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Class A Office Space
Location	221 North Kansas Street
Groundbreaking	January 30, 1970
Completed	1971
Height
Roof	302 ft (92 m)
Top floor	21
Technical details
Floor count	21
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Charles Luckman and Associates
Main contractor	C. H. Leavell & Co., Robert E. McKee, Inc.

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

• List of tallest buildings in El Paso

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)

External links

• http://www.wellsfargo.com
• Emporis.com^[usurped]
• http://www.coppersquare.com

Preceded by Chase Tower (El Paso)	Tallest Building in El Paso 1971—2021 92m	Succeeded by WestStar Tower

31.7601°N 106.4860°W / 31.7601; -106.4860