Originally designed and built in 1931 as the El Fidel Hotel, the building comprised a basement and five additional levels. The entrance elvel served as the hotel lobby, kitchen, dining room and coffee shop, with additional offices and retail space. Upper levels housed guest rooms and meeting rooms. The basement was devoted to laundry, boilers and storage areas.

The building is 30,214 square feet, located on the southwest corner of Copper Avenue and 5th Street NW. The site includes 142 feet of frontage along the west side of 5th Street and 212 feet along the south side of Copper Avenue. The underlying land is leveled, excavated for the existing basement, and lies slightly above grade of the surrounding areas. Site elevation and preparation affords adequate site drainage to the public facilities.

Forum Limited purchased the property in 1979 from the Fidel family, and in 1981 began renovation to create the current Copper Square. Because of the historic nature of the building, 75% of the building exterior was restored to its original condition. The building frontage on both 5th Street and Copper Avenue retained the 1930's era facade. The exterior remodeling focused on the creation of a five-story garden atrium in the southwest corner of the building, replacing the former ballroom.

The resulting conversion created a five-story atrium office building with basement area. The gross building area with The Copper Square is 99,900 square feet; net rentable area is 67,784 square feet; and usable area is 58,941 square feet. Each office floor has 12,736 square feet of rentable space, and forms an "L" shape facing the atrium with the common corridors being open balconies. The interior renovation also completely replaced or installed new building systems such as HVAC and fire protection.

Inside the structure, the copper-clad entrance roofing befits the building's name. Various levels of the atrium provide for lounging or waiting areas, larger group meetings and exhibition space. The landscaping accentuates the elegant, airy look created by the natural lighting and sky views of the glassed upper levels.

The Copper Square is part of the Albuquerque Central Business District, primarily a mix of office, retail, food and entertainment. New Mexico'smajor banking instintutions are headquartered or have major offices downtown. The majority of the City of Albuquerque and Bernailillo County government activities are also conducted downtown. The Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau is located just a few blocks away, as is the new Federal Courthouse. The new Bernalillo County Courthouse and the Albuquerque City Metropolitan Courthouse are also nearby.

Located in the heart of the Downtown Revitalization Corridor, The Copper Square is in a prime location to benefit from the new business, retail and entertainment venues in the area. Its distinctive contemporary design, historic facade, and accessibility create a professional and welcoming atmosphere for tenants and visitors.