ALICO Building

The ALICO Building is a 22-story office building in downtown Waco, Texas, United States, located at the intersection of Austin and 5th Street.[1] The building is currently owned and operated by the American-Amicable Life Insurance Company of Texas (a subsidiary of Industrial Alliance). At 282 feet tall, it is currently the tallest building in Waco.[2]

ALICO Building
Upper floors of ALICO building
Location within Texas
ALICO Building (the United States)
General information
StatusComplete
TypeOffice
Architectural styleBeaux-Arts
Address425 Austin Street
Town or cityWaco, Texas
CountryUnited States of America
Coordinates31°33′25.2″N 97°7′55.2″W
Current tenantsAmerican-Amicable Life Insurance Company of Texas
Construction startedAugust 1910
OpenedAugust 1911
Renovated1966
Cost$755,000 ($19,730,407 adjusted to 2017 dollars)
Height282 feet (86 m)
Technical details
Structural systemSteel
MaterialBrick, Terra Cotta
Floor count22
Lifts/elevators3
Design and construction
Architecture firmSanguinet and Staats
Official nameALICO Building
Designated1982
Reference no.5309000118
References
[1]

History
Postcard displaying downtown Waco, including the ALICO building (circa 1913)

The ALICO building was built in 1911 by the architectural firm Sanguinet & Staats for the Amicable Life Insurance Company at a cost of $755,000 ($19,730,407 adjusted to 2017 dollars), and was completed in one year.[2][3][4] It is the second oldest skyscraper built in Texas, after the Praetorian Building in Dallas, built in the previous year.[5]

The ALICO Building was not heavily damaged by the 1953 Waco tornado outbreak, unlike many buildings in downtown Waco.[1] It swayed several feet when directly hit by a tornado, although the building escaped severe damage or collapse.[3][6]

In 1965, Amicable Life Insurance Company and American Life Insurance Company merged to become the American-Amicable Life Insurance Company, the current tenant of the building. In 1966, the building underwent renovations, including the addition of the large neon sign at the top of the building displaying the acronym "ALICO".[2]

In 1982, the ALICO building was designated a historical landmark by the Texas Historical Commission.[7] In 2012, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Waco Downtown Historic District.[8]

References
  1. "Alico Building". Emporis. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  2. "History of the ALICO Building". ALICO Building. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  3. Ryan, Terri; Fiedler, Randy (April 8, 2011). "The story of the ALICO building: 100 years, 22 stories and 1 towering ego". Waco Today. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  4. Baughman, Kyle; Sawyer, Amanda. "Amicable (ALICO) Building". Waco History. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  5. "Praetorian Building". Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  6. Troessner, John. "Ten Things You Should Know About the ALICO Building of Waco". Texas Escapes. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  7. "Texas Historic Sites Atlas - Alico Building". Texas Historic Sites Atlas. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  8. "Waco considers making ALICO building a local historic landmark". Central Texas News Now 25. ABC. June 23, 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.

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