Construction Starts on Tallest Building in the West

Will LA's Wilshire Grand Tower be the tallest building in the western United States? We won't know until the final spire is in place in 2017. Right now, the Wilshire Grand is a 100-foot hole in the ground. But Saturday, that will change dramatically when 2100 truckloads of cement are escorted to the site by the USC Marching Band.

Banner Image: Workers call it “The Hole.” It’s the construction pit where workers are building the concrete and rebar foundation for what will eventually become the 1,100 foot-tall Wilshire Grand Tower in downtown L.A. The darker space is the “footprint” for the tower. One challenge facing construction crews is building a skyscraper in the tight confines of downtown LA, where building material can’t be stored in the immediate vicinity and crews have to always be aware of not blocking traffic. Photo by Saul Gonzalez