- On March 2, 1985, the first tenants occupy the 76-story Columbia Center, the tallest building in the Pacific Northwest. Constructed at a cost of $200 million amid controversy over its architectural value and environmental impact, the project demonstrates inadequacies in the city building code. The Columbia tower, as it is known informally, is located between 4th and 5th avenues and Columbia and Cherry streets. The Columbia Center’s name will change to Columbia Seafirst Center, and in 1999 will change again to Bank of America Tower, or BankAmerica Tower. Finally, in 2005, the name will revert to Columbia Center.