Big news! Oklahoma City is about to steal the spotlight from New York City as the proud home of the tallest building in the country! The city council recently gave the green light for an “unlimited height” skyscraper to be built—say hello to Legends Tower towering at 1,907 feet in Bricktown, Oklahoma City.
This architectural marvel will stand at an impressive 134 floors, putting the iconic One World Trade Center in NYC into second place. To put things into perspective, Legends Tower will surpass Oklahoma’s current tallest building, the Devon Energy Center, by a whopping 1,000 feet. Once completed, it will rank as the sixth tallest building in the world!
What’s with this “unlimited height” thing, you ask? Well, it’s a clever nod to 1907, the year Oklahoma joined the Union. Similarly, the One World Trade Center stands at 1,776 feet in tribute to the Declaration of Independence. The construction of the One World Trade Center, rising from the ashes of 9/11, took a resilient eight years to complete.
The Legends Tower won’t just be a soaring giant on the skyline—it’s part of a larger complex featuring three towers with mid-rise bases. The plans include a luxurious hotel and over 2,000 apartments catering to both luxury and affordable living. According to the masterminds at Architects Orange, this development spans three acres of residential space and a staggering 2,000,000 square feet allocated for retail, dining, and entertainment.
Initially, Architects Orange, in collaboration with Matteson Capital, had pitched a tower height just shy of the One World Trade Center’s height. Yet, after some tweaks, they pushed for a limitless design, securing approval to reach the lofty height of 1,907 feet. But hold on, there’s no set timeline for launching the construction phase of Boardwalk Bricktown just yet.
AO couldn’t contain their excitement upon the council’s approval, expressing gratitude for embracing their transformative vision to turn Oklahoma City into a global destination. Matteson Capital hinted at the hefty price tag attached to this grand project during a recent press briefing.
The financial commitment speaks volumes, with reports stating that a whopping $1.5 billion has been earmarked for the construction of this monumental tower. By the way, in the world of skyscrapers, any building that towers above 984 feet is considered a “supertall.” In the U.S., there are 29 such completed supertall buildings, none of which can be found in Oklahoma. The reigning champion of height is none other than the mighty Burj Khalifa in Dubai, standing tall at a jaw-dropping 2,716.5 feet!