The Tallest Buildings In San Diego

San Diego city is one of the major cities in California located in southern California on the coast of Pacific Ocean. The city is well known for its white sand beaches and a warm climate. The city has more than 150 high rise buildings of which 32 buildings have a height of more than 300 feet. San Diego city is ranked 3rd in California with 158 tall buildings. The One American Plaza, Symphony Tower, and Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel are the three tallest building in San Diego.

The Tallest Buildings In San Diego

One American Plaza - 500 ft

One America Plaza is located at 600 West Broadway Street in downtown San Diego, California. The commercial office block building is the tallest in San Diego with a height of 500ft. The One America Plaza was designed by Jahn Architects and constructed by Shimizu Corporation. The commercial office complex was completed in 1991 and acquired by Irvine Company in 2006 at the cost of $300 million. The building occupies a floor area of 623,00 square feet and has 34 floors. The building has the maximum height allowed by the US Federal Aviation Administration.

Symphony Tower - 499 ft

The building is situated on 750 B Street in downtown San Diego, California. Symphony Tower is the second tallest skyscraper after One America Plaza. The building is 499 feet tall tall. Symphony Tower is part of a 1.2 million square feet complex which also houses a hotel block. The 34 story office building was designed and developed by Skidmore Owings and Merrill and was acquired by Irvine Company at the cost of $134 million in 2003. The skyscraper occupies a floor space of 55,900 square feet. The construction of the office block complex began in 1986 and was completed in 1989. In 1994 the building was declared BOMA international building of the year.

Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel - 497 ft

Manchester Hyatt Hotel is located in central San Diego, California in the US on Marina’s waterfront. Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel is made up of two towers. The hotel was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, and developed by Doug Manchester. The construction of the 497 ft 40-story Harbor Tower was completed in 1992 while the 33-story seaport Tower was added in 2003. The two towers are linked together by a four-story building with a 25,000 square feet rooftop pool deck. Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel is the largest hotel not only in San Diego but in the whole of southern California.

Controversy Over San Diego Skyscrapers

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the 1970s restricted the height of buildings in downtown San Diego to a maximum of only 500 feet, within a radius of 1.5 miles of the city’s international airport. Over the years the government has expressed interest in drastically reducing the allowable height of buildings around the airports in the country. The proposal by the FAA has revived support from the airports and airlines. Development has encroached on the limits of safe flight paths. The buildings can impede planes during takeoff because ordinarily planes can fly with only one engine, but they lack enough power to climb quickly over obstacles, whenever there is an engine failure. However, the proposal has drawn sharp criticism from property developers, members of Congress, and local officials, arguing that the move could hurt the property value.