Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office on Wednesday night unveiled artist renderings of a planned 88-story mixed-use skyscraper that would sit along the Chicago River.
The building, dubbed as "Wanda Vista" will house a hotel, retail shops and condos and would be among the city's tallest. The Trump International Hotel and Tower stands 1,362 feet, including the spire, and the Willis Tower is 1,729 feet tall to the tip.
The Chicago Tribune, citing sources, said the building is designed by Chicago-based Jeanne Gang, who also designed the award-winning Aqua Tower. Her firm was tapped over the summer to design areas around the planned Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
"I think the size of the skyscraper is only matched and equaled by the size of the statement it's making i nthe cith of Chicago," Emanuel said at a Thursday press conference. "Our true measure of our success is not just the investment but the job opportunities that come with this."
Artist Renderings: Wanda Vista Project Along Chicago River
Chinese company Wanda Group plans to break ground on the East Wacker Drive skyscraper in 2016. The building project is expected to create about 2,000 jobs. About 500 jobs would be permanent, city officials said.
At a cost of $900 million, the project is China's largest real estate investment in The Windy City.
Local
The timing of the announcement coincided with Wednesday's start of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade in Chicago.
