Full funding secured for US tallest skyscraper says developer
Funding has been secured and construction may begin in September on the Legends Tower in Oklahoma City, which is planned to be the tallest in USA, says developer Scot Matteson.
Designed by Californian architecture studio AO, the Legends Tower supertall skyscraper planned for Oklahoma City is fully funded as of early March, according to reporting in local news outlet The Oklahoman.
Matteson said that he has secured the $1.5 billion required for the skyscraper, along with three smaller towers around it, collectively known as the Boardwalk at Bricktown.
If completed, the skyscraper will rise 1,907 feet (581 metres) in the air, making it the tallest in the United States and the fifth tallest in the world.
Construction may begin in early autumn
Matteson said that preparations on the site could begin as early as June.
"We will be first getting a grading and infrastructure permit," said Matteson, who has reportedly partnered with local construction consultants Thinkbox and engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti for the tower.
"And then we will get a building permit in September. The entire project is financed, including the tower — if the tower gets approved."
Originally, the skyscraper was to have a height of 1,750 feet (533 metres), but just weeks after the initial announcement, Matteson and his firm announced an extension to the structure's spire.
The building will house hotels, residences and commercial space.
The Oklahoman featured comments from several other experts, such as local engineer Norb Delatte, many of whom questioned the decision to create the tower in an area with low density, compared to the coastal urban cores such as New York.
Developer Bert Belander was quoted calling the project "fanciful".
"Right place at the right time"
However, despite the detractions, Matteson said that the project is realistic for the city.
"The city itself is promoting all the things I'm seeing – job growth, one of the fastest-growing cities in the US, a lot of migration coming in, and it's a very positive business environment," he said.
"The downtown is ripe for urban development. It's the right place at the right time."
Oklahoma City has joined multiple other American cities that are planning their first supertall skyscrapers, including Miami and Austin.
We recently rounded up the most significant upcoming skyscraper projects in the United States.
The imagery is courtesy of AO.
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