Los Angeles’ 1,100-foot tower now the tallest west of Mississippi

The $1bn hotel and office building had its spire attached at the weekend, making it 82 feet higher than the previous record holder.

A 160-foot spire is seen atop the Wilshire Grand Tower building, now the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. Reed Saxon / AP
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A new tower in downtown Los Angeles has become the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.

Construction workers on Saturday placed a 10-tonne spire atop the Wilshire Grand Tower. The spire adds 160 feet to the 73-storey building. That makes it 1,100 feet high.

That is 82 feet higher than nearby US Bank Tower, which held the tallest building record since 1989.

The US$1 billion hotel/office complex, being developed by Korean Air, is about 85 per cent finished and scheduled to be completed in March next year.

“The Wilshire Grand is an important part of the economic resurgence that is transforming LA’s skyline and has created 122,000 new jobs across our city,” said the mayor Eric Garcetti.

“I congratulate the project team on reaching this milestone, and look forward to seeing the tallest building west of the Mississippi open its doors next year.”

The city councillor Jose Huizar, who represents the downtown area, said: “The Wilshire Grand is not only the tallest building in the [US] West, it’s an entertainment destination that will represent the very best of what downtown Los Angeles has to offer.

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