Tallest building in the West opens to great fanfare

Hong Kong – The billion-dollar Wilshire Grand Centerin downtown Los Angeles celebrated its grand opening recently, ushering in a new age and downtown skyline for the city.

Valued at over $1 billion, the Wilshire Grand Center celebrated its grand opening on 23 June, 2017, at Wilshire Boulevard and Figueroa Street in downtown L.A. The day of celebrations included a ribbon cutting and cornerstone signing ceremony featuring featured comments from city and state elected officials as well as Yang Ho Cho, Chairman of Hanjin Group. Also commenting were Chris Martin, Chairman and CEO of the center's designers and developers, A.C. Martin; Elie Maalouf, CEO of The Americas InterContinental Hotels Group, and Peter Davoren, Turner Construction President and CEO.

The celebration concluded with a nighttime light show -- accompanied by music -- presenting a dazzling spectacle of the building's signature 73-story-high LED lighting as it illuminated the skyline of downtown Los Angeles.

The grand opening is a significant occasion for the city and for the project that began construction with a record-breaking concrete mat pour in February 2014. Over the past five years, 11,500 workers spent 5,433,012 hours constructing the skyscraper that features Los Angeles's first sky lobby, a sky deck, innovative outdoor spaces, exterior plazas and light features that will redefine the skyline and living experience of downtown Los Angeles for generations to come.

Mr. Yang Ho Cho, Chairman of Hanjin Group and officials cutting ribbon at the opening ceremony. Pictured from the left to right are: Mr. Key Cheol Lee, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in L.A., Mr. Herb Wesson, President of L.A. city council, Mr. Elie Maalouf, CEO of The Americas InterContinental Hotels Group, Mr. Yang Ho Cho, Chairman of Hanjin Group, Mr. Kevin Deleon, President of the California State Senate, Mr. Walter Cho, CEO of Korean Air and Mr. Chris Martin, CEO of the A.C. Martin

"This is the culmination of a dream and the completion of a promise. I have long dreamed of reinvesting in Los Angeles, my second home. We promised a world-class project and we delivered the crown jewel of Figueroa Street. This is a proud moment," said Chairman Cho.

"The Wilshire Grand is designed as a tribute to, and for, the city of Los Angeles," said Chris Martin, CEO and President of A.C. Martin, the firm responsible for the building's design. "Seeing this project come to fruition is a momentous occasion and symbol of pride for the entire city, and for all those who work, live and stay in Los Angeles."

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