Constructed in 1959, the Federal Building in Fort Dodge was once home to a multitude of government services ranging from the Social Security Administration to the Mine Safety and Health Administration to the local U.S. Post Office. As chronicled in a 2009 article in the Fort Dodge Messenger, by the late 1990s the fourth floor was empty and third floor courtroom was rarely used.

The Post Office moved from the location in February 2007, rendering the former Federal Building empty. The building has changed hands twice in the last seven years, with each buyer hoping to revive the once-bustling buildings. The most recent plan to lease a first-floor coffee shop and multiple small business offices has fizzled.