KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s new headquarters building at 1 Memorial Drive will open to the public on June 16, and will begin offering group guided tours on July 1.
The new building provides approximately 600,000 square feet of state-of-the-art office space for the Bank’s 1,000 Kansas City employees, as compared with approximately 357,000 square feet at its previous headquarters at 925 Grand Blvd., which was built in 1921. The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City is the regional headquarters of the central bank of the United States and serves a District comprising seven states, represented by the state flags flying in front of the building’s main entrance.
The Building
The building was designed by Pei Cobb Freed and Partners and Ellerbe Becket. The project manager was J.E. Dunn Construction Co. Of the nearly 75 firms involved in the project, more than 60 were from the seven states of the Tenth Federal Reserve District. Among the more notable regional connections is the limestone used on the building’s exterior, which came from Cottonwood Falls, Kan., and the work of Emporia, Kan., stone carver Alan Tollakson, who created the large stone eagles on the building’s exterior and engraved the Bank’s name into the stone.
The building is the first Federal Reserve facility constructed since the 9/11 terrorist attacks and features the latest technology and security while providing maximum accessibility to the public.
Money Museum
The Bank has a Money Museum containing numerous interactive exhibits about the Federal Reserve, banking and the economy. Visitors will have the opportunity to watch the Bank’s cash operations process millions of dollars in currency and coin from the region’s financial institutions in real time inside the region’s largest cash vault, test their strength by lifting a gold bar worth nearly $400,000 and give the nation’s currency their own redesign. The Museum also features the 450-piece Truman Coin Collection on loan to the Bank from the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Mo. The collection features coins minted since the nation’s founding.
Walk-in visitors are welcome beginning Monday, June 16, with adults 18 and over required to show a photo ID. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. Reservations are necessary for group guided tours, available starting July 1, and can be made by calling 816-881-2683. The museum is open from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and is closed on holidays.
Regional Fine Art And Bank History
The new building contains many connections to the Bank’s long history of serving the Tenth Federal Reserve District. At the Bank’s primary entrance facing Liberty Memorial, visitors will see sculptures of the Spirits of Commerce and Industry. These works by sculptor Tuck Langland are based on the historic relief sculptures of the two Spirits by artist Henry Hering that adorned the front of the Bank’s previous headquarters. Other historical features transferred from 925 Grand are: antique globe light fixtures, two sets of the art deco elevator doors, interior and exterior Federal Reserve seals, and the "master" clock.
Inside the building’s lobby, visitors will see three large tapestries created by artist Rebecca Bluestone of Santa Fe, N.M. The piece, titled “American Trilogy,” was created by using traditional tapestry techniques that involve weaving hand-dyed fibers. Original artwork located throughout the building was produced by artists from throughout the seven states of the Tenth Federal Reserve District. The pieces were selected from nearly 400 considered by the Bank with the assistance of art adviser Mary McElwain.
In conjunction with the opening of the new headquarters, the Bank has worked on two projects related to its history.
First, the Bank recently published an illustrated history about its founding and early years, titled “Confidence Restored: The Tenth District’s Federal Reserve Bank,” which will be available at local libraries this summer. The 200-page hard-cover book tells the story of the people and purpose of the founding and operations of the Federal Reserve and Kansas City's District with full-color illustrations and archival documents.
Second, the Bank worked with Kansas City public television station KCPT to produce a documentary focused on the Bank’s history titled, “10J: The History of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.” The documentary, hosted by Susie Gharib, anchor of PBS’ Nightly Business Report, will premiere at 8 p.m. June 10 and be rebroadcast at 8 p.m. June 12. The program explains the financial crisis and the political, economic and banking environment that inspired the creation of the Federal Reserve System with its unique structure of public oversight of privately operated Reserve Banks. The documentary is also expected to air on numerous public television stations throughout the Tenth Federal Reserve District in the coming months.
The Neighborhood
Through a unique use of tax increment financing under the leadership of MainCor, a substantial portion of tax revenues generated by the development are being targeted for several projects in the neighboring community, including in Penn Valley Park and along Main Street.
Additional details about the building and the Bank’s history are available in the attached documents as well as online at www.KansasCityFed.org.
As the regional headquarters of the nation’s central bank, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and its branches in Denver, Oklahoma City and Omaha serve the seven states of the Tenth Federal Reserve District: Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, northern New Mexico and western Missouri. The Bank participates in setting national monetary policy, is responsible for supervising and regulating numerous commercial banks and bank holding companies, serves as the bank for the U.S. government and for commercial banks, and provides other payment services to depository institutions.
An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in architecture, engineering, interiors and the construction industry with office locations worldwide. The Kansas City office, which served as Executive Architect on the Federal Reserve project, this year celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Contact: news@ellerbebecket.com
Diane Raley, 1-816-881-2038
