Wilshire Grand Center, Tallest Building West Of Mississippi, Opens

LOS ANGELES, CA — The tallest building west of the Mississippi River will celebrate its grand opening Friday in downtown Los Angeles.

The 73-story Wilshire Grand Center at 900 Wilshire Blvd. was developed by Korean Air, which is owned by Hanjin International Corp., at a cost of more than $1 billion.

The high-rise is 1,100 feet tall, surpassing the height of the U.S. Bank Tower, which was previously the tallest building in Los Angeles at 1,018 feet.

Officials held a ceremony in September of last year when a 10-ton spire was placed atop the tower, which officially made it the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. The tower features 889 hotel rooms and over 400,000 square feet of office space.

The grand opening program will include a ribbon cutting, cornerstone signing ceremony, evening light show and news conference featuring key project leaders and officials, including Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar, Council President Herb Wesson and L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis.

City News Service; Photo: Fredchang931124