January 5, 2009 – There is finally a point, literally, to the Trump Tower. On this past Saturday, January 3rd, workers managed to install the 227 foot spire atop the high-rise. The addition of the spire lifted the 92 story Trump Tower to a total height of 1,361 feet, just 90 feet shy of the Sears Tower and into the record books as second tallest high-rise in the U.S. Construction workers had made several attempts before this, only to be defeated by weather conditions. This time however everything came into alignment for installation.

According to the Tribune, the entire process took about four and a half hours, starting just after 9am and ending around 1:45pm on Saturday. The multiple sections of galvanized steel spire that resembled tripods were lifted one by one above the tower by a Sikorsky S-61 helicopter and then lowered into place so that the ironworkers could align and bolt them into place. However, due to the wind there were four sections of the spire that were installed without their fiberglass surround, which will be added later on when weather permits. The total weight of the spire is said to be 60 tons.

All construction on Trump Tower is expected to be completed sometime in April. As for the ongoing lawsuit between Trump and Deutsche Bank over the past due loan, there is no timetable for resolution. More units in the building coming up for rent by investors are creating even more competition for the Chicago condos that are still for sale from the developer. We’ll have to see if spring, which usually is the peak sales season for Chicago Condos, can boost the numbers a bit for Trump.

[tags]Trump Tower, Chicago Condos, Chicago Real Estate[/tags]

This entry was posted on Monday, January 5th, 2009 at 1:02 pm and is filed under Mortgage Information.