America's tallest building

From The Chicago Tribune:

What would be North America's tallest tower took another step toward becoming a 2,000-foot-high reality Thursday when the Chicago Plan Commission recommended that the spire's current design by famed architectect Santiago Calatrava be approved by the city zoning committee.

Garrett Kelleher, chief executive of developer Shelbourne Development Ltd. of Dublin, said the tower will be "a unique building in a happening city." Regarding questions about the project's financial feasibility, Kelleher said managers of the Anglo Irish Bank of Dublin "fully support me and I have shown their letter to the City of Chicago."

Shelbourne had requested that the amount of space to be built on the 2.2-acre lakefront site be increased from 10 times the lot size to 25 times. It also asked for permission to build exit and entry ramps linked to Lake Shore Drive.

With this approval in hand, the city zoning committee is scheduled to vote on the twisting 150-story tower's design and site plan on Thursday. Once over that hurdle, the project will then go before the full city council on May 9 for the final go-ahead. Prospects for that are good.



"This is a wonderful project, and everyone is very enthused," said Constance Buscemi, spokeswoman for the city planning department. If the spire gets a green light from the city, the 40 months of construction will get under way this spring, said Thomas Murphy, general counsel to Shelbourne, though he added that the developer has not yet hired a general contractor.

What a wonderful country America is. To be able to build such wonders. Let's see any Islamic nation construct something to match this without spending unearned oil wealth to hire Western architects and engineers and contractors and skilled workers to build it for them.

Godspeed to the people who can design and build such a beautiful building.

To the the political establishment in New York. Why is Ground Zero still a hole in the ground after nearly six years?

And to the seventh century savages who danced in the streets when the World Trade Center was destroyed look at this work of art as it rises along Lake Shore Drive and understand that as far as you are concerned this is America's middle finger raised in salute to you and your pathetic kind.