It was built in 1962 to be used by Burroughs Corporation for its project to build an automated facility to take input, like satellite and radar information, and instantaneously assess its degree of combat importance.

The collection consisted of items from personnel who served with the Flying Tigers or its forerunner the American Volunteer Group in China.

In December 1976, personnel were moved to Peterson Air Force Base and the Chidlaw Building, near downtown Colorado Springs.

[15] By 1998, the building was owned by the United States General Services Administration and leased to the Air Force Space Command.

[16][17] Bayshore Industries was awarded a contract by the U.S. General Services Administration to maintain and operate the Federal Building in 2006.

[19] United States Northern Command hosted a Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration, an annual event, on June 18, 2007 at the Federal Building.

It was a media event to present emerging technologies of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance solutions (C4ISR) for military and homeland security applications.

The purpose of the event included evaluation of interoperability within the coalition and international community, such as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members, Canada, and the United Kingdom.