The John W. Bricker Federal Building is a federal office building in

Downtown Columbus, Ohio Downtown Columbus is the central business district of Columbus, Ohio. Downtown is centered on the intersection of Broad Street (Columbus, Ohio), Broad and High Street (Columbus, Ohio), High Streets, and encompasses all of the area inside the Inn ...

. The structure was designed in the

Brutalist Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by minimalist constructions that showcase the b ...

architecture style and was built in 1977 to house federal offices. It has seven stories, and is part of a facility, including an eight-story parking garage. The building is named for John W. Bricker, an Ohio governor and U.S. senator who lived in Columbus.

Attributes

The John W. Bricker Federal Building has offices for U.S. Senator

Sherrod Brown Sherrod Campbell Brown ( ; born November 9, 1952) is an American politician who served from 2007 to 2025 as a United States senator from Ohio. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representative for from 1993 to 2007 and the 47t ...

as well as for the

Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...

, the

Social Security Administration The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government that administers Social Security (United ...

, and the Departments of Housing & Urban Development and

Agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

. It also has a USPS post office and a cafeteria. The building's exterior features '' Correlation: Two White Line Diagonals and Two Arcs with a Sixteen-Foot Radius'', a work by

Robert Mangold Robert Mangold (born October 12, 1937) is an American minimalist artist. His son is the film director, producer and screenwriter James Mangold. Early life and education Mangold was born in North Tonawanda, New York. His mother, Blanche, was ...

, made of porcelain-enamel and steel.

History

Architects Brubaker/Brandt began designing the seven-story building and attached parking garage in 1974. It was designed with walkways on the second floor that were intended to eventually connect to the

Greater Columbus Convention Center The Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) is the primary convention center of downtown Columbus, Ohio, United States, along the east side of North High Street (Columbus, Ohio), High Street. The convention center was predominantly designed by ...

as part of the city's pedestrian movement plan. The building was completed in 1977. Following its completion, the former federal office (the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse) was vacated. In the 1980s, U.S. Senator

John Glenn John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016) was an American Marine Corps aviator, astronaut, businessman, and politician. He was the third American in space and the first to orbit the Earth, circling it three times in 1 ...

and Representatives

John Kasich John Richard Kasich Jr. ( ; born May 13, 1952) is an American politician and author who was the 69th governor of Ohio from 2011 to 2019, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 2001, and a Republican candidate for the pre ...

and

Chalmers P. Wylie Chalmers Pangburn Wylie (November 23, 1920 – August 14, 1998) was an American politician and lawyer from Ohio, who served in various public offices in that state before serving thirteen terms as a member of the United States House of Represen ...

had their offices in the building, along with branch offices of the

IRS The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...

and

. In 1988, a bill passed naming the building for John W. Bricker, an Ohio governor and U.S. senator from Columbus. A similar bill passed the U.S. House in 1986 but failed to pass the Senate. In 2011, the USPS considered closing its small post office in the building, as part of a nationwide closure for small post offices. The Bankruptcy Court and U.S. Marshals Service in Columbus announced in December 2020 that they were moving from leased space into the building. The relocation was expected to occur by mid 2026 when construction was completed. In 2025, the GSA released a list of federal office buildings slated for disposal. The Bricker Federal Building along with the attached parking garage was placed on the list pending disposal.

References

External links

*
USPS website
* {{Columbus, Ohio 1977 in Ohio Brutalist architecture in Ohio Buildings and structures in Downtown Columbus, Ohio Federal buildings in the United States Government buildings completed in 1977 Government buildings in Columbus, Ohio Post office buildings in Ohio