In 1937, the City of Fort Myers took advantage of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Works Progress Administration” (or “WPA”) program by building a new water plant which included a two-story brick pump building which became known as the “Red Brick Building”. In 1992, the plant was decommissioned and laid dormant for many years.
BSSW Architects was challenged to re-commission the building into municipal offices serving the City’s Public Works Departments, Emergency Operations Center and Data Recovery Center. The 14,000 SF building is a fine example of depression era “Art Deco” Architecture and features exquisitely detailed brick and terracotta along with two-story steel windows. On the interior, a two-story volume is spanned by cast-iron steel girder trusses which along with the two-story steel windows gives the building a great “Industrial” quality.
The facility was also hardened to withstand 170 mph wind loads with 3 second gusts, and 72 hours unsupported operations.
