ALICO Building explained

ALICO Building
Map Type:Texas#USA
Status:Complete
Building Type:Office
Architectural Style:Beaux-Arts
Address:425 Austin Avenue
Location City:Waco, Texas
Location Country:United States of America
Coordinates:31.557°N -97.132°W
Current Tenants:American-Amicable Life Insurance Company of Texas
Opened Date:August 1911
Renovation Date:1966
Cost: (equivalent to in)
Structural System:Steel
Material:Brick, Terra Cotta
Floor Count:22
Elevator Count:3
Architecture Firm:Sanguinet & Staats
Unit Count:-->
Embedded:
Embed:yes
Nrhp Type:cp
Nocat:yes
Partof:Waco Downtown Historic District
Partof Refnum:11001094
Designated Other1:Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Designated Other1 Date:1982
Designated Other1 Number:118
Designated Other1 Num Position:bottom

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

History

The ALICO building was built in 1910 by the architectural firm Sanguinet & Staats for the Amicable Life Insurance Company at a cost of (equivalent to in), and was completed in one year. It is the second oldest skyscraper built in Texas as well as the oldest skyscraper in Texas still standing, after the Praetorian Building in Dallas, built in the year prior to ALICO, was demolished in 2013.

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

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".

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

Further reading