A downtown Bradenton landmark, mapped through time.

Construction begins on The Professional Building. Architects J. H. Johnson of Bradenton and M. Leo Elliot of Tampa design the building, G. A. Miller of Tampa serves as contractor, Updegraff Lumber Company supplies much of the lumber, and Office Equipment Company furnishes the interiors.

The building opens on February 22, 1926 as The Bradenton Bank and Trust Building with almost ninety percent occupancy. One of the first tenants is Worth Henson and the home office of Henson Accounting Service, and at opening it is the tallest commercial building in Manatee County.

The Bradenton Bank and Trust fails during the Great Depression, pushing the ground floor toward retail use while the upper floors continue to attract professional offices. In 1930, E. Glen Grimes moves his law firm from Palmetto into the building, beginning a legal presence that continues through successor firms.

Holland Cafeteria opens on the first floor in 1939, adding ceilings and walls to the original banking space. In the 1940s, government rationing offices also operate from the first floor and issue gasoline and food coupons after further renovations.

Sharp’s Drug Store remodels the first floor in 1947, adding an art-deco-style overhang and removing several original architectural features, including ionic columns and most of the west-side arched windows. Through the 1950s, the upper floors remain fully occupied by doctors, dentists, attorneys, accountants, and other professionals, tenants own shares in the building, and the property is often referred to as “the professional building downtown.”

William B. King, DDS and partners sell the building to members of the law firm Grimes, Goebel, Parry, Blue, Boylston & McGuire, which becomes the principal tenant on the fifth and sixth floors. That same year Sharp’s Drug Store relocates one block away, and Mike Carter Construction renovates the first floor, removing later additions and restoring major original details, including the arched windows and front-entry ionic columns. Read more

By 1986, the building is no longer Manatee County’s tallest commercial building after the Bradenton Financial Center opens. In 1989, the Manatee County Clerk of the Court becomes the principal tenant and eventually occupies four full floors.

In the 1990s, the law firm later known as Grimes Goebel Grimes Hawkins Gladfelter & Galvano, PL moves to the first floor, returning professional use to the original banking hall. In 1997, scenes from the film Palmetto are filmed on the second floor, with the interior standing in for a district attorney’s office.

Former State Representative Bill Galvano opens his Florida House of Representatives District 68 office on the seventh floor in 2002. In 2012, State Senator Bill Galvano opens his Florida Senate District 26 office on the second floor.

Renovations completed in 2022 marked a significant milestone for the building, introducing a new partner and tenant as ZNS Engineering assumed occupancy of the fifth, sixth and seventh floors. Their presence brought renewed activity and investment to the property, reinforcing its role as a hub for professional tenants.

Investment in the property included a series of major capital improvements aimed at enhancing safety, efficiency, and long-term durability. These upgrades featured a new roof, energy-efficient air conditioning systems, impact windows for hurricane protection, and updated plumbing infrastructure, helping to modernize the building.