Legends Tower: The Tallest Skyscraper in the US

Plans to build the country's tallest skyscraper in the heart of Oklahoma City have attracted national and international attention. But not all the publicity has been positive.

The 1,907-foot tall Legends Tower, proposed by developer Scot Matteson, would be part of the Boardwalk at Bricktown project planned for what is now a surface parking lot at Reno and Oklahoma Avenues in Lower Bricktown.

The Oklahoma City Planning Commission this month recommended the city council approve zoning for a proposed 1,907-foot-high tower but warned they do not like renderings showing extensive use of LED signage throughout the four-tower development. 

At the commission meeting, Oklahoma City resident Cynthia Ciancarelli questioned whether building the tallest tower in the United States might make it prone to natural disasters or a target for terrorists. 

“Oklahoma City is a playground for investors,” Ciancarelli said. “Who wouldn’t want to invest in one of the of strongest economies in the U.S? But why do they want to build the tallest building in the United States? We have severe storms, earthquakes ― Oklahoma is one-stop shopping (for disasters).” 

Would natural disasters really have a strong impact on the building? Here's what we know about plans to construct the tallest building in America:

How tall would the proposed building be?
The California developer announced plans last month to increase the height of the Legends Tower to 1,907 feet tall — a symbolic figure in that Oklahoma became a state in 1907.

This would make the Legends Tower the tallest building in the U.S. and the fifth tallest in the world, the developers say. The tallest is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is 2,716 feet tall.

Will the skyscraper be safe from tornadoes, earthquakes?
Modern skyscrapers are built to withstand high winds and earthquakes using technology that allows them to sway several feet in each direction without compromising its steel structure.

However, if a high-rise building were to be in the midst of a tornado, it would likely sustain severe window damage.

When a F3 tornado hit the Bank One Tower in Fort Worth in 2000, 80% of the 35-story tower's windows were destroyed. The building was almost demolished, but was instead converted into a residential tower.
When will the OKC skyscraper be built?
The project covers more than 3 acres and is planned to host more than 2 million square feet of residential, retail and entertainment development, including two Hyatt hotels, condos, apartments, stores and restaurants.
The development will also have a lagoon and boardwalk. Also coming to the area, a new arena for the NBA franchise Oklahoma Thunder, which is expected to cost at least $900 million.

Work on the first three 345-foot towers is scheduled to begin this year; the Legends Tower would be built after those are completed.

Why was Oklahoma chosen for the country's tallest building?
Pointing to a period of growth, Matteson said in a statement that Oklahoma City is "well-positioned to support large-scale projects like the one envisioned for Bricktown.”

“We believe that this development will be an iconic destination for the city, further driving the expansion and diversification of the growing economy, drawing in investment, new businesses, and jobs," he said. "It’s a dynamic environment and we hope to see The Boardwalk at Bricktown stand as the pride of Oklahoma City.”

Is it even possible to build the tallest skyscraper in the US in OKC?
Norb Delatte, an engineering professor at Oklahoma State University, along with Jerome Hajjar, a professor at Northeastern College of Engineering in Boston, both said despite concerns about Oklahoma's location within Tornado Alley, among others, the tower is doable from a structural standpoint.

“It’s certainly an unusual and distinctive structure for a city the size of Oklahoma City,” Hajjar said. “A building system like this, along with the surrounding buildings, can be an anchor for transforming the city.”