Orpheum Lofts

The Orpheum Lofts is an 11-story high-rise building in Phoenix, Arizona, designed in Art Deco style by local architects Lescher & Mahoney. It was the largest office building in Arizona at the time of its construction in 1930. The grand opening took place on January 31, 1931.HistoryThe building is located at 114 West Adams Street in downtown Phoenix. The bricks used in the facade were specially made in California and are progressively lighter in color from bottom to top. A neon sign located on the north side that advertised the 'Phoenix Titles & Trust Co' was a prominent feature for many years.The site was originally occupied by the 2-story O'Neill Building which was constructed around 1900 and housed early Phoenix lawyers O'Neill and McKean, and later the Arizona Industrial Congress. The building was razed in 1929 to make way for construction of the Title and Trust Building which was expected to cost $650,000.Transamerica Title Insurance Co. acquired the building in 1959 when it bought controlling interest in the Phoenix Title & Trust Co. The building was sold during March 1969, by Transamerica to T & T Building Associates for $2,000,000.The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 4, 1985, as part of the Phoenix Commercial MRA (multiple resource area).First Interstate Bancorp, later bought out by Wells Fargo, was the main tenant for many years during which time vacancy in the building increased substantially. By 1997, the building was occupied by a scant 35 employees and all but five worked for Wells Fargo. In July 1997, the bank moved their employees to a new facility across the street in the First Interstate Bank Plaza. Soon after, the remaining tenants followed suit.