This Record-Setting Building In LA Is Really, Really Tall

<p>Los Angeles is the city of angels and celebrities. Now, it can add home of the tallest building in the western U.S. to that list.</p><p>&quot;Oh my god, it&#39;s unbelievable, all of a sudden I think I&#39;m in New York,&quot;&nbsp;<a href="http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/09/03/final-piece-of-tallest-building-west-of-mississippi-being-put-in-place/" target="_blank">said Bob Downey</a>, a man who worked on L.A.&#39;s original skyline in the 1970s.</p><p>The Wilshire Grand tower project&nbsp;<a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-wilshiregrand-20160901-snap-story.html" target="_blank">began in 2012</a>. The final touch to the 73-story building? A 10-ton spire.</p><p>And that spire helped set a record. The steel object put the tower at 1,100 feet, making it the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.</p><p><b>SEE MORE: <a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/china-s-new-glass-bottom-bridge-is-not-for-faint-of-heart/">China's New Glass-Bottom Bridge Is Not For The Faint Of Heart</a></b></p><p>The second tallest building on this side of the map is the U.S. Bank Tower, which also has 73 floors but is shorter and doesn&#39;t have a pointy thing at the top.</p><p>The Wilshire Grand will reportedly be home to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-wilshiregrand-20160901-snap-story.html" target="_blank">multiple entities</a>. Part of it will be a hotel, another part will house offices, and the remaining floors will have various restaurants and bars.</p><p>CBS Los Angeles reports the building&#39;s architect didn&#39;t actually have record breaking in mind when he designed the skyscraper.</p><p>Construction isn&#39;t quite done. The $1 billion tower is reportedly scheduled to open in March 2017.</p><hr><b>Trending stories at <a href="http://www.newsy.com">Newsy.com</a></b><ul class="inline-related-links"><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/top-3-epic-back-to-school-stories/">Top 3 Epic Stories That Made Us Actually Miss Going Back To School</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/5-6-magnitude-earthquake-in-oklahoma-shakes-multiple-states/">Earthquakes Like The One In Oklahoma Could Be Humans&#039; Fault</a></li><li><a href="http://www.newsy.com/videos/fda-questions-safety-of-antibacterial-soap-ingredients/">FDA Thinks Antibacterial Soap Is Kind Of Sketchy</a></li></ul>