By Maxwell Brucks
Oklahoma City is looking to put itself on the national stage by building the tallest building in America and the fifth tallest in the world. The Legends Tower, as it would be named, is seeking approval to be built in Oklahoma City. In a statement to Nate Berg of Fast Company, the developer of the project Scot Matteson said “Oklahoma City is committed to growing as a major metropolitan area. The city has invested in infrastructure surrounding the project. The groundwork has been laid, and the time is ripe for this project.” Around 700,000 people live in Oklahoma City, making it the 20th largest state in the US. The building will be 1,907 feet tall, representing the year Oklahoma became a state.
AO, a California-based architecture group, is designing the building. According to AO’s website, the development will cover over three acres and two million square feet. The building is set to have 150 stories and includes a hotel, serviced condominiums, and private residencies, according to Nate Berg of Fast Company. This building would bring a sizable amount of attention to Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma.
“I think it’d be pretty cool to have. I mean, we have some cool things, but not a lot of stuff that gets national attention, just stuff that mainly seems cool to Oklahomans. I think it’ll be pretty cool, especially if it’s in Bricktown,” said Blake Storts, a McPherson Student. At the moment, the building is still a concept with no set timetable for construction.
This news of the potential tallest building in America comes soon after Oklahoma City voted to keep the Oklahoma City Thunder in Oklahoma City. On December 12, 2023, Oklahoma City voted yes to building a new arena for Oklahoma City Thunder, keeping them until 2050. According to KOCO News and Jonathan Greco, 71 percent of the vote was yes. The city will own the new arena and will rent out the arena to the Thunder until 2050. By 2050, it will be the Thunder’s 42nd year in Oklahoma City after the team left Seattle in 2007-2008. Keeping the Thunder was huge for Oklahoma City because it remained one of 52 cities with a pro sports team in the United States and Canada.
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt led the charge in keeping the Thunder in Oklahoma City. Speaking with News 9 Holt said “In the last 30 years, we’ve worked so hard to become a big-league city, we don’t want to ever stop being a big-league city. And we can now hand this legacy to our kids and grandkids and keep this status for another generation. So get out and vote yes.”
The funding for the 900-million-dollar arena will utilize the penny tax that was self-imposed by the city back in 1993. The city created this penny tax and called it the MAPS project to help fund and rebuild downtown Oklahoma City.
