Metropolitan National Bank Tower

Metropolitan National Bank Tower
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Office/Retail/Restaurant
Location	425 West Capitol Avenue Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
Construction started	1984
Completed	1986
Opening	1986
Height
Antenna spire	547 feet (167 m)
Technical details
Floor count	40
Floor area	625,000 sq ft (58,100 m2)

Metropolitan National Bank Tower is a 40-story skyscraper located at 425 West Capitol Avenue in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas. At 547 feet (167 m) high, it is currently the tallest building in Arkansas.^[1]

Construction

The new tower was born out of discussions between two ascending business executives, John Flake, a Little Rock real estate developer, and Jerry Maulden, president of Arkansas Power & Light (now Entergy). Construction began in 1984 on the $72 million building, and in 1986 the building was completed and dubbed The Capitol Building. Currently, the namesake tenant, Metropolitan National Bank, is headquartered in the tower with presence in various markets of Arkansas. Flake & Kelley Commercial, the current name of the development firm of the tower, performs the management and leasing of the tower, and the Doyle Rogers Company is the special asset manager.

About the building

Once finished in 1986, the building was opened and named Capitol Tower. Upon completion it became the tallest building in Arkansas, taking the record by 92 feet (28 m) from its neighbor The Regions Center (formerly First National Bank Building) located across the street. The tower has held this record ever since. Little Rock–founded international frozen yogurt chain TCBY moved into the tower and gained naming rights in 1991 and the building became known as TCBY Tower. TCBY would later move out of the tower after the company was sold in 2000, leaving the 3 floors they occupied vacant. The name was changed again in August 2004 when Metropolitan National Bank bought naming rights to the tower and moved its headquarters in the building, and it was renamed Metropolitan Tower. Metropolitan Bank added exterior lighting to the facade of the tower in 2005 which includes 400-watt flood lights that illuminate the sides of the tower along with LED lights that can be programed to any color and are used to commemorate national holidays. The building has a 952 car parking garage across the street with a connecting skywalk to the tower lobby. Metropolitan Tower has 17 elevators and is equipped with antennas and satellites on the roof that are used for radio and cell phone communication as well as by local network affiliates.

References

1. ^ Metropolitan Tower Emporis.com, accessed January 15, 2008

See also

• List of tallest buildings by U.S. state
• List of tallest buildings in Little Rock