The CN Tower in Toronto, Canada currently holds the title of tallest freestanding structure in North America and the Western Hemisphere at 1,815 feet.
Now, a project in Oklahoma City is coming for CN Tower’s title.
Oklahoma City Council recently approved a zoning change allowing California real estate developer Matteson Capital and architecture firm AO to build a proposed 1,907-ft tower as part of a mixed-use development on a four-acre property. According to a recent article in Engineering News-Record, the rezoning – which passed by an 8-1 vote – removed the height restriction originally placed on the site.
The proposed construction consists of a base with three mid-rise towers and a fourth, the Legends Tower, that would reach the record 1,907 feet height. According to NPR, the building would be twice as high as the current tallest building in the state. The exact height – 1,907 feet – was chosen to commemorate the year Oklahoma became a state.
Groundbreaking is expected to begin in the fall of 2024.
“People have asked me often, what do you think about this development?” Councilwoman Nikki Nice told NPR. “I mean, sky is the limit, no pun intended.”
According to plans filed with the city, the project would include:
- 86 levels of luxury residences (with an amenity level), topped by 12 levels of luxury penthouse space
- A 16-level Hyatt hotel, along with nine more levels of Hyatt residences
- An indoor pool
- An observation deck and “sky restaurant”
- A 17,000-square-foot lagoon surrounded by a boardwalk
Councilman James Cooper, the lone councilmember to vote against the removal of the height restriction, said he did so because he felt the developers needed to provide more assurances that they will work to provide affordable housing units and aid homeless people.
The developers previously submitted a filing to the city that indicated they planned to have 48 affordable housing units in the large project, and roughly 140 “work force” living units intended for people earning less than the median income for the area. But Cooper said he’s seen little since to convince him these plans are moving forward.
“There’s just nothing here that inspires any sort of confidence toward that effort,” he told NPR.
The project will require additional approvals before shovels break ground. And even when construction begins, the record-breaking Legends Tower won’t be erected until the surrounding three, smaller towers are finished.
“For the second phase, the hope would be to start in a couple of years, and it would probably take about three years to build the second phase of that project,” Rob Budetti, of AO, told the Oklahoma City Council prior to its vote.
According to NPR member station KOSU, residents who live and work near the site of the proposed project are still weighing the pros and cons of the construction.
“I’ve not done a pro and con list, but I’m sure it would somehow be pretty close,” said Shane Cooley, who teaches yoga a few blocks north of the parcel. “I think it’s a pretty ambitious thing to do.”
“I feel like it’s kind of a PR stunt,” added Shannon Burke, who lives just a few blocks from the site. “Like, hey, let’s just make something really funny and unrealistic and talk about it. But I think people are kind of serious about it.”
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Whether it’s a standard renovation or a new design build chasing a world record, ensuring the success of any construction project starts before shovels meet dirt. GPRS can help guide your project from start to finish with our comprehensive suite of subsurface damage prevention, existing conditions documentation, and construction & facilities project management services.
Our concrete scanning, utility locating, video pipe inspection and leak detection services prevent subsurface damage by giving you a comprehensive picture of the built world below your feet. Utilizing state-of-the-art tools like ground penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic locating, remote-controlled, CCTV camera-equipped sewer pipe inspection rovers, acoustic leak detectors and leak noise correlators, our SIM and NASSCO-certified Project Managers provide you with the location and approximate depth of utility lines, underground storage tanks (USTs), and other buried infrastructure that you want to avoid when breaking ground.
Our 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry services capture as-built conditions on site for accurate planning and design on the front end of a project, and efficient operations and maintenance (O&M) on the back end. And with SiteMap® (patent pending), our infrastructure mapping software solution, all this field-verified data is at your fingertips 24/7 from any computer, tablet or smartphone so you can plan, design, manage, dig, and ultimately build better.
From skyscrapers to sewer lines, GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World® to keep your projects on time, on budget, and safe.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will I need to mark out the utilities that GPRS locates?
No, GPRS will locate and mark all utilities for you. We have a variety of tools and markers we can use to highlight the locations of utilities, underground storage tanks and whatever else may be hiding.
How is ground penetrating radar (GPR) used to identify tendons vs. rebar in a post-tensioned slab?
In post-tensioned structures, we typically find one mat of support rebar near the base of the slab. This mat is generally consistently spaced and remains at a constant elevation. Post-tension cables are generally found above this support mat and “draped” throughout the rest of the structure. The elevation of the cable is usually high near the beams and column lines and drapes lower through the span between beams and column lines. Knowledge of these structural differences allows us to accurately differentiate between components. Our Project Managers will leave you feeling confident in our findings and in your ability to drill or cut without issue.
