{{Short description|Skyscraper in Dallas Texas}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox building | status = Reconstruction | image = Dallas Elm Place.jpg | image_size = 190px | image_caption = | address = 1401 Elm St. | location_town = [[Dallas, Texas]] | location_country = [[United States]] | coordinates = {{coord|32.7815|-96.8008|region:US-TX_type:landmark|format=dms|display=title,inline}} | pushpin_relief = | construction_start_date = | completion_date = {{End date|1965}} | architect = [[George Dahl]]<br />[[Thomas E. Stanley]] | owner = Starwood Capital Group | cost = US$35 million | floor_area = {{convert|1,399,986|sqft|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Elm Place|url=https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/elm-place/1944|website=Skyscraper Center|publisher=CTBUH|access-date=2017-07-21}}</ref> | floor_count = 50 | grounds_area = | references = <ref>{{CTBUH|1944}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.emporis.com/buildings/118466 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306142110/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/118466 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |title=Emporis building ID 118466 |work=[[Emporis]]}}</ref><ref>{{SkyscraperPage|259}}</ref><ref>{{Structurae|20012166}}</ref> | building_type = Hotel, residential<br/>Commercial (former) | architectural_style = [[International style (architecture)|International style]] | roof = {{convert|627|ft|abbr=on}} | elevator_count = 27 | main_contractor = [[Robert E. McKee|Robert E. McKee, Inc.]], [[The Beck Group|Henry C. Beck Co.]] | name = The National | former_name = First National Bank Tower | engineer = | developer = First National Bank of Dallas | operator = | website = {{URL|https://www.thenationaldallas.com/}} | embedded = {{Infobox NRHP | embed = yes | name = The National | nrhp_type = | added = October 27, 2017 | refnum = 100001764<ref name=NRHP-weekly>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/weekly-list-2017-national-register-of-historic-places.pdf |title=Weekly list of actions taken on properties: 10/20/2017 through 10/26/2017 |date=October 27, 2017 |work =National Register of Historic Places Program: Weekly List |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=November 3, 2017}}</ref> }} }}
'''The National''' is a 50-story, {{convert|627|ft|m|adj=on}} [[skyscraper]] in the [[Main Street District, Dallas, Texas|Main Street district]] of [[downtown Dallas]], [[Texas]]. Designed by [[George Dahl]] and [[Thomas E. Stanley]], it is adjacent to the [[Dallas Area Rapid Transit]] (DART) [[Akard (DART station)|Akard Station]]. It is the tenth tallest building in the city. In January 2010 the building was closed due to low occupancy rates.<ref name="dmn115">{{cite news |first=Steve |last=Brown |work=The Dallas Morning News |title=Downtown Dallas' landmark Elm Place tower shutting its doors |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/011510dnbuselmplace.7dd58c88.html |date=January 15, 2010 |access-date=January 15, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Wilonsky |work=The Dallas Observer |title=What Does Elm Place's Closure Mean for Downtown Dallas? Is the City Worried? Well ... |url=https://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/01/what_does_elm_places_closure_m.php |date=January 15, 2010 |access-date=January 15, 2010}}</ref> It was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2017.<ref name=NRHP-weekly/>
In 2020, it reopened, after the most costly building conversion in Dallas' history, totaling $460 million.<ref name="dallasnews.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2020/11/20/towering-success-downtown-dallas-national-mixed-use-project-makes-its-debut/|title=Towering success: Downtown Dallas' National mixed-use project makes its debut|date=20 November 2020}}</ref> It contains The luxury Thompson Dallas Hotel, 324 apartments,<ref name="m.hotelbusiness.com">{{Cite web|url=http://m.hotelbusiness.com/links/news/news.php?ID=56153|title=Thompson Hotels to Open Three Properties in Texas{{!}} HotelBusiness.com|website=m.hotelbusiness.com|access-date=2017-04-02}}</ref> {{cvt|37000|sqft}} of office space and {{cvt|43000|sqft}} of retail space.<ref name="The National">{{Cite web|url=https://www.toddinterests.com/thenational|title = The National}}</ref>
==History== The $35 million skyscraper was designed for the First National Bank in Dallas by architects [[George Dahl]] and [[Thomas E. Stanley]], built to replace First National's home on Main Street.<ref name="dmn320">{{cite news |first=Steve |last=Brown |work=The Dallas Morning News |title=Downtown Dallas' Elm Place tower scheduled for foreclosure |url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/032109dnbuselm.54833662.html |date=March 20, 2009 |access-date=January 15, 2010}}</ref> It originally was proposed to be {{convert|96|ft}} higher, but was scaled back after determining it would be a hazard to flights leaving [[Dallas Love Field]].<ref name="dmn101561">{{cite news |work=The Dallas Morning News |title=First National Plans 50-Story Building |date=October 15, 1961}}</ref> By choosing a site with lower elevation, the tower, even with a modified height, was still taller than rival bank's [[Republic Center]]. The {{convert|2|acre|adj=on}} block of land previously contained First National's motor bank, which was demolished for the new structure. The exterior, featuring a dark and light contrasting theme, was clad in more than {{convert|8|acre}} of dark gray glass and white marble imported from Greece.<ref name="dmn320"/> The building's construction began in 1961 and used more than 25,000 tons of steel. Construction was handled jointly by [[Robert E. McKee|Robert E. McKee, Inc.]] and [[The Beck Group|Henry C. Beck Co.]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Metz |first=Leon, Claire |title=Robert E. McKee Master Builder |publisher=Robert E. and Evelyn McKee Foundation |year=1997 |isbn=0-9646793-1-0 |location=El Paso, Texas |pages=268–269}}</ref> At the time of opening in 1965, it was the tallest building west of the [[Mississippi River]], until surpassed by [[555 California Street]] in [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] in 1969. It was the tallest in Texas until 1971, when [[One Shell Plaza]] was built in [[Houston]]. In 1974, [[Renaissance Tower (Dallas)|Renaissance Tower]] became the tallest in Dallas.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20061214085822/http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=elmplace-dallas-tx-usa Elm Place, Dallas<!-- Bot generated title -->]}}</ref>
The {{convert|225|ft|m|adj=mid|-long}} tower that rises out of this base was placed off center and is a modified hexagon, with four of the sides only slightly angled [end walls are {{convert|75|ft}} wide with a midpoint width of {{convert|95|ft}}].<ref name="dmn101561"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dallasarchitecture.info/elmplace.htm |title=Elm Place - Architecture in Downtown Dallas |access-date=2010-01-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125113301/http://www.dallasarchitecture.info/elmplace.htm |archive-date=2010-01-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Floors 11-49 were general lease space not used by First National Bank. The white columns running up the tower contain Plexiglas mullions that house fluorescent lights, which were once turned on every night. The Observation Terrace on the 50th floor contained the world's highest escalator from the 49th floor.<ref name="dmn013165">{{cite news |work=The Dallas Morning News |title=First National Opens Tallest Skyscraper |date=January 31, 1965}}</ref> [[File:View from the 49th floor of the National in Dallas Texas.jpg|thumb|View from the 49th floor of the National building in the Monarch restaurant]]
At ground level the building features a long pedestrian arcade flanked by retail space connected Elm Street and Pacific Street, and the building was later connected to the [[Dallas Pedestrian Network]] when the adjacent [[Renaissance Tower (Dallas)|Renaissance Tower]] was opened in 1974. An 800-space garage was located on the lower two levels, and was the largest single parking facility in Dallas at the time.<ref name="dmn101561"/>
During following years the bank continued to grow and under InterFirst Corp. built [[Renaissance Tower (Dallas)|Renaissance Tower]] and [[Bank of America Plaza (Dallas)|Bank of America Plaza]]. After a series of mergers it became part of [[Bank of America]], and as most banking operations vacated the structure the name was changed to Elm Place. Under a special agreement, the bank owned the bottom 10 floors, while the lobby and upper 42 floors had a separate owner.<ref>{{cite news |first=Steve |last=Brown |title=First Republic Bank's Downtown Holdings |work=Dallas Morning News |date=August 2, 1988 |page=4D}}</ref> The lower floors of the building were foreclosed on in early 2009; the tower portion of the building closed in late January 2010 due to low occupancy rates.<ref name="dmn115"/> In May 2010 the building was put up for sale for $19 million.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/050610dnbusElm.1b931309.html | title=Downtown Dallas' Elm Place tower goes up for sale for $19M | work=The Dallas Morning News | date=May 5, 2010 |access-date=30 August 2012}}</ref>
In 2020, it reopened, after the most costly building conversion in Dallas' history, totaling $460 million.<ref name="dallasnews.com"/> It contains The luxury Thompson Dallas Hotel, 324 apartments,<ref name="m.hotelbusiness.com"/> {{convert|37000|sqft}} sq ft of office space and {{convert|43000|sqft}} of retail space.<ref name="The National"/>
In January 2026, the building went into foreclosure, and developer Shawn Todd turned the property over to its lender, Starwood Capital Group, which was owed $230 million.<ref>https://www.dallasnews.com/food/restaurant-news/2026/01/14/will-6-dallas-restaurants-monarch-catbird-little-daisy-chick-fil-a-close-the-national-foreclosure/</ref>
===Banking facilities=== The building's eight story base, which contained the banking and operational function for First National Bank, covered the entire block and featured a continuous set of {{convert|48|ft|m|adj=mid|-high}} marble arches on all sides of the building. The lower five floors of the base were recessed {{convert|10|ft|0}} to provide large walkways around the building. The floors above the arches (6,7 and 8) do not have any windows and are covered in marble.
The {{convert|13860|sqft|abbr=on}} main banking floor, located on the 4th floor, was 2 stories in height and contained the vaults and 50 teller stations. Two motor banks served customers: a "walk-up" bank on Elm Street for pedestrians and a "drive-in" bank on Pacific Street.<ref name="dmn013165"/>
The second floor contained the "Money Tree", a {{convert|20|ft|m|adj=mid|-wide}} mural designed by Alma Shon made of 8,500 coins and carved wood.<ref>"Money Tree Designer is Honoree for Tea". ''The Dallas Morning News''. March 25, 1954.</ref>
The ninth floor, the first floor of the tower, housed the bank's top executives, lounge areas and executive dining room. It was surrounded by an extensive rooftop garden, heavily landscaped and filled with sculptures and fountains.<ref name="dmn101561"/> The 8th floor contained the Dallas Room, a 300-seat auditorium, and the bank employees' cafeteria.<ref name="dmn013165"/>
==Gallery== <gallery> File:Dallas Elm Place Renaissance Tower.jpg File:ElmPlaceConstruction01.jpg File:ElmPlaceConstruction02.jpg </gallery>
==See also== *[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Dallas County, Texas]] *[[List of tallest buildings in Dallas]] *[[List of tallest buildings in Texas]]
==References== {{reflist|33em}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Elm Place (Dallas)|First National Bank Tower}}
*[https://www.thenationaldallas.com/ The National official website] *[https://www.thenationalresidences.com/ The National Residences official website] *[https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/texas/thompson-dallas/dfwth Thompson Dallas Hotel official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202093848/https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/texas/thompson-dallas/dfwth |date=December 2, 2020 }} *[https://www.toddinterests.com/thenational The National official corporate website] *{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Wilonsky |work=The Dallas Observer |title=The View From -- And Of -- 1401 Elm Street |url=https://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/01/the_view_from_--_and_of_--_140.php |date=January 19, 2010}}
{{S-start}} {{S-ach|rec}} {{Succession box | before = [[ExxonMobil Building]] | title = Tallest building in the United States west of Mississippi River | years = 1965–1969 | after = [[555 California Street]] }} {{S-end}}
{{Downtown Dallas}} {{Dallas skyscrapers}} {{Buildings in Dallas timeline}} {{NRHP in Texas}} {{Portal bar|National Register of Historic Places|Texas}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Office buildings completed in 1965]] [[Category:Skyscraper office buildings in Dallas]] [[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Dallas]] [[Category:Bank buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas]]