Tallest Building West of the Mississippi Opens in L.A.

Amid a light show and parties, developers of the Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles celebrated the opening of the tallest building west of the Mississippi River on June 23, U.S. News and World Reports says. The 1,100-ft.-tall, 73-story building bests the old record-holder — the nearby U.S. Bank Tower — by more than 80 ft. With its glass-and-steel crown designed to represent Yosemite’s Half Dome, Wilshire Grand is the first modern skyscraper built in L.A. that does not have a flat roof. The building houses an 889-room InterContinental Hotel, 350,000 sq. ft. of office space, retail outlets and several restaurants. The building also features exterior LEDs that can be programmed to give the building colorful illumination and graphic visuals. It is one of several new skyscrapers opening in or planned for L.A., which has witnessed a downtown renaissance in recent years.