925 Grand

925 Grand

Company type	Building
Industry	Banking (former tenant)
Founded	1921
Headquarters	Kansas City , United States
Products	Office space

925 Grand served as the previous headquarters for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (Kansas City Fed). Before the Kansas City Fed moved in 2008, it held the distinction of being the oldest Federal Reserve Bank building still in operation. The structure was officially recognized and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

Back in 1913, Missouri became unique as both Kansas City and St. Louis vied to host a Federal Reserve bank; eventually, each city was granted one. This made Missouri the only state with more than one Federal Reserve bank. A significant figure in resolving the impasse that led to the passage of the Federal Reserve Act was former Kansas City mayor James A. Reed, who was a member of the Senate Banking Committee.

The initial office for the Kansas City Fed began operations in 1914 at the R.A. Long Building located at 928 Grand. This arrangement lasted until November 1921, when a newly constructed $4.3 million building opened directly across the street at 925 Grand in Downtown Kansas City. Shortly after its inauguration, the bank also rented out portions of its space to outside tenants.

The building at 925 Grand was designed by the Chicago architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, known for their work on the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the Wrigley Building. From 1921 to 1926, it stood as Missouri’s tallest structure and remained the tallest building in Kansas City until 1929.

From 1953 until the completion of the Truman Library in 1957, President Harry S. Truman maintained an office within Room 1107 of this building.

In 2008, the Kansas City Fed relocated to a new headquarters near the Liberty Memorial, a project designed by architect Henry N. Cobb. Prior to this move, Townsend, Inc. purchased 925 Grand for $10.8 million in 2005 and continued leasing space to the Federal Reserve until their departure. Later, in 2013, Great Western Bank from Sioux Falls took possession of the property through auction. Subsequently, a developer secured financing from a Boston-based lender to transform the site into a hotel.