LeVeque Tower

LeVeque Tower
Former namesAmerican Insurance Union Citadel
Record height
Tallest in Columbus from 1927 to 1974[I]
Preceded byCapitol Trust Building
Surpassed byRhodes State Office Tower
General information
TypeMixed-use
Architectural styleArt Deco[1] or Art Moderne[2]
Address50 W. Broad St.,
Columbus, Ohio
GroundbreakingSeptember 23, 1924 (1924-09-23)
CompletedSeptember 21, 1927; 97 years ago (1927-09-21)
Cost$7.8 million
Height555 ft 5 in (169.29 m)
Dimensions
Other dimensions188 ft (57 m) east-west and north-south
Technical details
Floor count47
Floor area353,768 sq ft (32,866.1 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s)C. Howard Crane[3]
Website
columbuslofts.com/leveque-tower-residences
www.hotellevequecolumbus.com
American Insurance Union Citadel
Map
Interactive map highlighting the building's location
Coordinates39°57′44.550″N 83°0′7.513″W / 39.96237500°N 83.00208694°W / 39.96237500; -83.00208694
Area353,768 square feet (32,866.1 m2)[5]
NRHP reference No.75001398[4]
CRHP No.CR-9
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMarch 21, 1975
Designated CRHPJuly 12, 1982

The LeVeque Tower is a 47-story skyscraper in Downtown Columbus, Ohio. At 555 feet 5 inches (169.29 m) it was the tallest building in the city from its completion in 1927 to 1974, and remains the second-tallest today.

Designed by C. Howard Crane, the 353,768-square-foot (32,866.1 m2) Art Deco skyscraper was opened as the American Insurance Union Citadel in 1927 and at the time was the fifth tallest building in the world. Built at a cost of $8.7 million, the tower's design incorporates ornate ornamentation and a terracotta facade, and it was designed with 600 hotel rooms in two wings as well as an attached performance venue, the Palace Theatre. After the American Insurance Union went bankrupt in the Great Depression, the tower was renamed the LeVeque-Lincoln Tower in 1946, and later the LeVeque Tower in 1977.

The tower's office space saw mixed success in attracting tenants during its early history, but it became home to a number of state agencies and law firms. As development of Downtown Columbus peaked beginning in the 1960s and several other high rise buildings were constructed, the tower faced increasing competition from other major office buildings and its vacancy rates rose. Over the course of its history, the tower changed hands several times before being sold to a group of real estate investors in 2011. The current owners subsequently converted it into a mixed-use development, including a hotel, apartments, condominiums, offices and a restaurant, which opened in 2017.

  1. ^ Darbee, Jeffrey T. (17 July 2018). "LeVeque Tower". SAH Archipedia. University of Virginia Press. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  2. ^ Darbee & Recchie 2008, p. 43.
  3. ^ Korom 2008, p. 358.
  4. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  5. ^ Owen 1999, p. 416.