The Tallest Building in the Western Hemisphere Sheds Its Spire
Extell Development has released a new plan for the Nordstrom Tower (officially dubbed “Central Park Tower”), showing the building won't have a spire. The original, spired design was supposed to reach 1,795 feet, making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Still, at its current height (1,550 feet), it will be the tallest building in the US by roof height. The change makes it taller than Chicago’s Willis Tower (1,450 feet) and New York’s 432 Park Avenue (1,397 feet), but shorter than 1WTC(1,776 feet, with the spire). While the plans aren't final, they show the floor count of the Smith + Gordon-designed building has increased to 99. The foundation is currently being poured as cranes are being raised, and the 1.3M SF project is expected to be completed in 2019. It is possible that the spire may return as the tower is being constructed. The tower will likely add new high-end retail chains, as well as more jobs and taxes for the city. [NYY]
