The National was built in 1965 as the First National Bank Tower, then the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. After an extended vacancy, the mixed-use project added 324 high-end apartments and 218 luxury suites as part of the Thompson Hotel. 

Site and overhead facade work going on simultaneously reduced access points into the building, but the project team opted not to install a hoist due to the historic facade. Instead, existing freight elevators were modernized, and full-time elevator service crews remained on site to respond to any repairs immediately. While the elevators were smaller than a material hoist, they were several times faster.