The twenty-six-story 261-foot (80 m) tower block was designed in 1962 and completed in 1966; its name reflects its location across the street from the west gate of the Texas State Capitol.

The building was publicly announced in the Austin Statesman on November 10, 1962 as the "Westgate Tower"[1] (named for its proximity to the west gate of the capitol grounds).

[7] In 1931, the City of Austin had enacted a local ordinance limiting the height of new buildings to a maximum of 200 feet (61 m), aiming to preserve the visual preeminence of the Texas Capitol; since that time, only the University of Texas Main Building Tower had been built higher than the limit, using an exception allowing for additional height with a greater setback.

[1] The proposed design for the Westgate Tower significantly exceeded the height limit (though it compensated with a setback for the portion above the parking garage).

[10] The controversy over the preservation of the capitol's visual presence that dogged the Westgate Tower's construction continued to grow after its completion.

The fourth through ninth floors house the building's parking garage, above which residential space fills levels ten through twenty-two.

Additional office space occupies levels twenty-three and twenty-four, and the twenty-fifth floor holds mechanical rooms and a two-story sunroom.