City leaders and Korean Air executives gathered Saturday evening at Figueroa Street and Wilshire Boulevard, the site of the New Grand Wilshire project, to begin a 20-hour concrete pour, the longest continuous pour ever.

The Wilshire Grand Center will boast a new hotel and commercial center with shops, restaurants and nightlife, and is set to open 2017. In addition to the longest continuous concrete pour, the site is set to break another record — the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River.

The festivities began Saturday at 4 p.m. with a parade by the University of Southern California marching band with concrete trucks following close behind. After their performance, city leaders spoke about what the new building will mean to Los Angeles.

“Los Angeles is back on the move, we’re not just riding the wave of the end of this recession,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “We are a power behind it, and Los Angeles will lead not only this city, but this state and this country, out of this recession, providing jobs for folks and rebuilding L.A."

Korean Air is developing the project with an investment of approximately $1 billion. Chairman Yang Ho Cho was presented with a resolution fore his dedication to Los Angeles before the pour began. Garcetti also emphasized how partnerships with countries around the world are beneficial to the city.

“We are the western capital of the United States, the northern capital of Latin America and the eastern capital of the Pacific Rim,” he said of Los Angeles' role in the international system.

Many believe the project will be a significant part downtown's revitalization, which has been occurring in the past few years. Huizar, who represents downtown, said that the population of the area has grown from 10,000 residents to 50,000 in just the past decade.

“This means jobs, it means opportunity and it means that downtown is the best place to be, the best neighborhood in the United States,” Huizar said.

The project is estimated to provide 11,500 short-term construction jobs and 1,750 permanent positions once finished.

“It’s really going to be the centerpiece of downtown when completed,” Huizar said. “It’s going to say that here in downtown Los Angeles we know that every great city must have a great downtown.”

The building's height and design makes it a centerpiece of downtown's new image. Drawings show the 73-story building standing at 1,100 feet — taller than New York City's Chrysler building. Part of this height will be a spire, something other downtown buildings couldn’t have because of an old ordinance that all tall buildings must have helipads.

"Now we’re going to have a skyline where we can get more creative, while keeping the buildings safe, allowing our fire department to do their job and allow them to have some alternative ways to get to the rooftops when they have to,” Huizar said.

The building's sustainability is also notable--it is projected to be LEED silver certified when completed,   a third-party verification of green buildings that requires the entire building process to be sustainable and have better energy performance.

“Great architecture is the blending of art and technology and engineering,” Martin said. “And when we pour the concrete today, we’re not just pouring concrete, we are celebrating technology, and we’re celebrating engineering.”

Once the speeches ended, at 4:45 p.m., the crowd let out a “let it pour!” shout on command as the Trojan marching band started performing “Conquest” and concrete began to flow. If the builders reach their goal of a nearly 20 hour concrete pour, they will set a Guinness World Record.

Los Angeles Councilman Jose Huizar, Speaker of the California State Assembly John Pérez, building designer David Martin of AC Martin Architects, President and CEO of Turner Construction Peter Davoren and Executive Secretary of the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council Ron Miller also spoke at the event

 

 

Reach reporter Isabella Sayyah here