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Video: A Bird's-Eye View As Wilshire Grand Becomes The Tallest Building In The West

By  Tim Loc
Published Sep 5, 2016 11:00 PM
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This past weekend, the Wilshire Grand tower officially became the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. This happened when, at about 8 a.m. on Saturday, it was fitted with its 58-foot spire on top.

How do you get a giant spire on top of a building, you ask? Well, the building's social media handlers got you covered: They posted a terrifying video that gives a bird's-eye view of the spire as its being hoisted by a crane. The video takes us from the ground level to the top, which is about 1,099 feet up in the air.

The most nausea-inducing moment, perhaps, is when a couple of brave workers appear at the 0:45 mark to help the process along. They're basically standing in mid-air as they do their job (they're supported by harnesses, of course, but still).

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The tower, which is slated to open in early 2017, will come with a 900-room InterContinental hotel, an observation deck, retail spaces, restaurants, and other nightlife offerings.

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