It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 for its local significance in the theme of commerce.

[2] It was nominated for its association with the business networking organizations that influenced Saint Paul's late-19th and early-20th-century economic and civic growth.

Years later, it reflects the economic strength and civic influence of Saint Paul's business organizations at the beginning of the 20th century.

By the turn of the 20th century, terms such as "Board of Trade," "Commercial Club," and "Chamber of Commerce" were common.

Companies needed more office space and wanted buildings that would convey financial strength.

Saint Paul Mayor Herbert P. Keller and Bishop John Jeremiah Lawler spoke at the opening dinner.

As labor unions gained strength, rich industrialists saw a need to capture middle-class support.

The Commerce Building's tenant losses during those years reflected the problems of the national economy.

[4] Construction slowed in downtown Saint Paul in the 1930s and 1940s due to the Great Depression and World War II.

It also escaped the urban renewal projects that destroyed many of Saint Paul's downtown office buildings in the 1950s.

[4] The Commerce Building is a symbol of the early-twentieth-century success of Saint Paul's business and civic organizations.