Final Piece Of Tallest Building West Of Mississippi Put In Place

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The final piece of the tallest building west of the Mississippi was put in place this weekend.

On Saturday morning, crews hoisted a spire and beacon atop the Wilshire Grand Center along Figueroa and Wilshire boulevards.

Many, including those who worked on the project, converged in downtown Los Angeles to witness the installation.

The 10-ton steel spire was lifted by a crane and completes the already 73-story building.

CBS2's Greg Mills spoke to people excited to see the building make its mark.

"It's great to see it out here. It's a great accomplishment for the city of L,A.," said Haydon Brandow.

Bob Downey worked on L.A. skyscrapers in the 70s and is very impressed by the height of the new skyline.

"Oh my God. It's unbelievable," he said, "All of a sudden I think I'm in New York."

Mills also spoke to the building's architect who said he didn't have making a record in mind when he designed it.

The news media brought it up," says Chris Martin, the architect, "They pointed it out. We weren't trying to make it the tallest."