Fifty-eight stories pierce the Seattle sky. That’s the U S Bank Center. A giant among giants. It wasn’t always so grand.
The U S Bank Center stands tall. Its history is rich. It began life as the Pacific First Centre. Construction lasted from 1987 to 1989. It opened its doors on May 30 1989. This wasn’t just any building project. It replaced the Music Box Theatre the Windsor Hotel and a jewelry store. An earlier plan for a 46-story building called the Stimson Center fell through. Financial problems and disagreements among developers stalled that ambitious project.
Prescott Inc. stepped in. They redesigned the building. It became a 44-story tower. Pacific First Bank signed on. They became a major tenant. The building officially opened as the Pacific First Centre. It wasn’t immediately successful. The downtown Seattle office market was oversupplied. By 1990 the building was 21 percent vacant. It even faced foreclosure.
But the U S Bank Center persevered. U S Bank took over. They signed a major lease. The building was renamed the U S Bank Centre. The U S Bank Center continued to evolve. A public lobby a shopping area and even a movie theater were part of its amenities. A Montessori school and daycare opened on the 23rd floor. A 5000 pound teddy bear greeted visitors outside. A testament to the once-popular FAO Schwarz toy store that occupied the space.
The U S Bank Center’s story continues. It changed hands several times. A Japanese firm and later an Emirati company invested in the building. In 2019 EQ Office purchased the U S Bank Center. A recent renovation transformed the public lobby and shopping center. It’s now called Cedar Hall a 155 000 square foot space. And in 2023 the building was renamed the U S Bank Center. Its sleek postmodern design still dominates the Seattle skyline. The U S Bank Center’s artistic heritage remains. A permanent collection of art adorns the lower levels thanks to a 1% allocation of construction costs. Among the treasures is Dale Chihuly’s Flower Form 2.
The U S Bank Center. It’s more than just a building. It’s a piece of Seattle’s history. It represents ambition resilience and adaptation. A landmark reflecting the city’s dynamic past and promising future.