BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The Bakersfield skyline is complimented by rust-colored buildings, the neon sign of the Padre Hotel and a large rectangular building on Truxtun Avenue. The city of Bakersfield is now eyeing the Truxtun Tower, formally called the Bank of America building.

Erwin Property LLC owns the large property and the M.D. Atkinson company manages it.

The tower has been a part of downtown Bakersfield for decades. About 100 years ago, as Bakersfield began developing in the 1920s, the then city council wanted to create a community hotel thanks to funding coming in from local investors.

The new spot of hospitality — the El Tejon Hotel — opened in May 1926.

Photo courtesy of the Kern County Museum

Photo courtesy of the Kern County Museum

Photo courtesy of the Kern County Museum

Photo courtesy of the Kern County Museum

Photo courtesy of the Kern County Museum

Photo courtesy of the Kern County Museum

Its opening kicked off more hotel construction with the Padre Hotel finishing two years later.

Fast forwarding 40 years, Bank of America worked in collaboration with the Bakersfield City Council to demolish the hotel and replace it with a multi-storied building.

But the construction of this large undertaking didn’t come without controversy. In 1970, a young man was injured while playing in the building’s construction site.

In 1974, the building was completed and functioned as a branch for the national company before its closure in 2024.

Photo courtesy of the Kern County Museum

Photo courtesy of the Kern County Museum

Photo courtesy of the Kern County Museum

Photo courtesy of the Kern County Museum

Photo courtesy of the Kern County Museum

Photo courtesy of the Kern County Museum

Photo courtesy of the Kern County Museum

Photo courtesy of the Kern County Museum

The current City Council discussed the possible purchase of the Bank of America building first in 2025 in a five-hour closed session with no action taken at the time. But that purchase may soon become a reality.

In Wednesday’s closed session meeting, the City Council held a conference with the city manager Christian Clegg and a representative from ASU Commercial Real Estate company.
The reason for the meeting, according to the agenda, was to negotiate “price and terms of payment for purchase.”

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We reached out to the city and ASU Commercial Real Estate for more information on the negotiations, including costs and how the building would be used by the city.

17 News has not received a response as of Wednesday.

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