LOS ANGELES—Wilshire Grand has been crowned. Korean Air, the developer behind the $1-billion project, topped off the 73-story skyscraper in Downtown Los Angeles with the spire, officially crowning it the tallest building west of the Mississippi. The steel spire alone stands 294 feet and 9 inches tall, making the building 1,100 square feet.

The building has been labeled an icon of the Downtown Los Angeles resurgence, with city leaders like Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Jose Huizar praising the project as a milestone project for the renaissance, which has encouraged a surge of mixed-use development projects like the Wilshire Grand. “The Wilshire Grand is an iconic building—and the addition of its signature spire today marks an incredibly exciting moment for the project and for all of Downtown Los Angeles,” Chris Martin, CEO and president of A.C. Martin, tells GlobeSt.com. “In completing the spire today, we're celebrating a major accomplishment and getting a glimpse of the Wilshire Grand's bright future, which will redefine what it means to work, live and stay in Downtown Los Angeles.” A.C. Martin designed the new icon, while Turner Construction is serving as the contractor.

In addition to transforming the Downtown Los Angeles skyline as the tallest building in the West, and bringing more luxury housing, hotel, retail and office space to the market, the project is also helping to fuel the local economy. According to Mayor Garcetti, the project will bring 122,000 jobs to the market.

Workers lifted the spire to the top of the skyscraper atop the buildings roof with a crane. With the addition of the steel spire, the building is now 85% complete and on track to be complete in early 2017. Korean Air broke ground on the project in February 2014. The ground breaking achieved a record-breaking concrete pour.

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Wilshire Grand Crowned Tallest Building in the West

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