Some news as of late.

Boston Properties takes control of Transbay Tower, S.F.'s tallest building
J.K. Dineen
Mar 19, 2013

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfranci...er-boston.html

Also here are some videos to show what the new skyline would look like for the reply below.

• Video Link

• Video Link

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bos...cel-2013-03-26

Boston Properties and Hines Close on Record Land Sale for Transbay Transit Tower Parcel
Ceremonial Groundbreaking of the West Coast's Tallest Tower Scheduled


March 26, 2013

There was a time I would have been really excited about that news. Unfortunately, I've been so disillusioned by the degradation of the terminal and tower that it's just another project to me now. Frankly, it feels like this entire proposal has been one giant bait and switch, but I doubt Hines planned this from the start. From the reduced price (down to basically what Rockefeller/SOM pitched), to the reduced height, to the dopey slits, to the terminal itself maybe losing its glass curtain wall, it seems like everything I found interesting that was originally promised has been stripped away. I'm far more excited about 50 First, 190 Fremont and just about everything going up on Rincon Hill than this.

Oh well. I won't belabor the point because I don't want to be the guy who constantly complains about a given project. I've said my piece and I'll try not to comment about it anymore. Hopefully I'll be proven wrong in the long run, and there are plenty of other projects to keep me occupied in the meantime.

I'm still jazzed about it because of the height and think it is going to make a dramatic statement on the skyline. It's also directly in my east northeast line of view and I'll be able to see it even from the back corner of my living room! I can't wait!

yeah, this one will be a fabulous addition to views from almost anywhere in the city, lounging at dolores park? beautiful view. sitting around at jessie square? beautiful view. coming over the bay bridge? beautiful view. from marin, this thing will look great. and beyond the height it'll do a huge amount of work getting us past our table top, bland skyline.

^That's a really good point. No matter what, a new pinnacle of this height will make the skyline more intriguing.

viewguy - that's another thing to look forward to: your photos of it rising!

Realize that this building will be completed a year before the Wilshire Grand Tower in Los Angeles. This will make the Transbay Tower the tallest building in the West Coast for a year if everything goes according to plan.

Edit: Some news from several months ago gives us hope that this building might have an observation deck. Apparently now that the building is under construction they are going to look into it.

http://inhabitat.com/san-franciscos-...he-west-coast/

http://sfist.com/2012/10/19/planning...ly_oks_wes.php

"Now that we are closing on the land and moving full speed ahead with the design, I'm confident that discussions will progress into leasing quickly."

Does this mean that the design is not finalized and still being perfected?

Have the transbay parcels even been height approved by the BOS and planning yet?

The tower has already been approved quite a while ago, and the design has already been perfected. Groundbreaking is later today. They are just trying to get tenants. Otherwise they are going to be building an empty building.

However the terminal building's design hasn't been finalized yet. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/place/...#photo-4332517

No Groundbreaking, Really
 

Not really a groundbreaking today. Just a ceremony/PR event to note the transfer of title and payment of $192M to Transbay. Actual groundbreaking and start of construction won't be until Summer at best. If that happens, should be completed way before the new Terminal which I've heard is delayed far more than what they're admitting publically.

It was an actual groundbreaking. http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local...200351781.html. This building should be moved to the Supertall Construction thread now.

Uh, no it wasn't. Just because they took some pictures while they shoved some shovels into some dirt specially piled on the site doesn't mean they are starting construction. You won't see construction on the site related to the tower for months. Design's not even finished yet. It was just a photo op.

My fellow architecture enthusiasts,
I for one am excited about the Transbay Tower. It's easy to get discouraged during the design process of a building compared to seeing the finished product. Transamerica has always been one of my favs, but to have seen it cut down from its original 1150 feet, and the "ears" added to it would have been frustrating. But in the end, in a city full of NIMBYS, after an era (the 1990s) in which there was almost nothing built of any size, it feels like a miracle to me to see a building twice the height of the original 550 feet proposed for it! And the slots at the top, while a very different look than what we're used to, I think will make it more interesting, especially when they are lit at night.

Tally me up as another person happy to see this thing rise. I really believe it's going to be a stunner once it's built. Keep in mind, this is going to be taller (spire included) than the Chrysler Building in NY, which is a pretty big deal for a town notorious for its NIMBYs. I never thought I would see the day.

Not that I care either way, but I found this to be an interesting quote:

http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo...est-skyscraper

I knew it! This WILL be the tallest tower in the west coast, and the design has yet to be finalized. I'm guessing this will reach the original proposed 1200' ;)

It's possible. If I remember correctly, One Rincon Hill (tower 1) was pretty much sold as a 550 foot tower until ground was broken. As we know, that tower ended up being over 640 feet tall.

Or maybe, as stated, a surprise addition to the crown? Similar to this (one of my favorite buildings anywhere):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Building

I am still waiting for news on the observation deck ideas for this tower. One thing is for certain the design for the upper portions of the tower is still uncertain. We might even get a spire on this tower.

If they add a spire to the Transbay tower....:slob:

That could be amazing. I hope this news of a "superstructure" (whatever that may be....spire? antennae? a crown on top of a crown? Alien docking platform?) is true.

I would love to see TBT taller than currently proposed. I wish any height increase could be via occupied floors, but I'm not complaining if we just get a super-spire.