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Posted by richyb on October 9, 2007 at 12:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Once again, great(but frustrating) article by BR Business Report; "Friutless Renderings".The 25th anniversary special is a must see!

Being a little kid back in the 80's I never realized all the high-rise tower projects that were cancelled. No wonder the Capitol City does not have the state's 2nd Best Skyline! As superficial or egotistical as it may seem "Downtown Skylines" are the fingerprint of a city; what you would expect to see identified on a postcard.

Most people see BR's Skyline and are not very impressed; though the State Capitol is always mentioned and something to be proud of. Had some of these impressive towers in the 80's mentioned gone thru, this would been a totally different story. The younger generation tends-to equate glitzy high-rise towers in cities with opportunity and sucess(Houston, Dallas, Atlanta,etc.) When looking at BR's older skyline you see One American Place(1968); Chase Towers 1974 & 1988; but nothing new!

While true tall buildings do not make a city; the lack of newer towers can say something about how stagnant the area may be. Though not necessarily tall; Downtown has come a long way with the new state buildings; Shaw Arts Center; and Hilton Capitol and a new Courthouse on the way.

It's a shame some developers could not have partnered with Wampold's new II City Plaza to build a new mixed-use "landmark" high-rise (on one of the many dreaded surface parking lots) much like the massive, failed Fidelity Tower shown!!! Showing the World BR is more than just the State Capitol built way back in 1932.

While going vertical for BR seems too expensive or impossible; WHY has this not stopped others cities like Austin, Mobile, Nashville and Raleigh from having high-rise cranes dotting the skyline with new landmark towers??