Grant USA Tower facts for kids
The Grant USA Tower was a super tall skyscraper that was planned for Newark, New Jersey. A developer named Harry Grant wanted to build it. He was from Iraq but lived in New Jersey. He even helped pay for the gold dome on top of Newark City Hall.
The tower was going to be built over an old train station. This station was part of the Central Railroad of New Jersey's Newark and New York Railroad. It was near Broad and Lafayette Street. In 2007, a mall that was not finished was torn down. This was done to build the Prudential Center. The old train station below, which would have been the tower's base, is still there. People are now thinking about connecting the old station to the Prudential Center. They might turn it into a museum.
If the tower had been finished by 1986, it would have been very special. It would have had the tallest hotel in the world. It also would have been the tallest building and the tallest structure at that time.
Tower Design and Features
The Grant USA Tower was planned to be very tall. It would have been 1,750 feet high and had 121 floors. The outside of the tower was going to be covered in "dollar green" glass. At the very top, there would have been a golden American bald eagle statue. This eagle would sit on a flagpole. Large gold letters spelling "USA" would also be at the peak.
The tower was designed to hold many different things. It would have had over 3 million square feet of office space. There would also be a hotel and places for big meetings. A fun area with an ice skating rink was also planned. The hotel part of the tower would have had a special open space. This space, called an atrium, would have been 21 floors tall. It would be above the 121st floor. Harry Grant also wanted to build a special train system. This monorail would have carried 125 people. It would run from the tower to the Newark Liberty International Airport.
Building the Project
Harry Grant bought the land for the tower in 1985. He paid $1.2 million for the block. This block was located between Broad, Lafayette, Edison, and Mulberry Street. Work started on the first part of the project in 1989. This first part was called the Renaissance Mall. It was going to be 5 stories tall and very large.
The mall was planned to have many cool features. It would have an international food court. There would also be a special piano bar that seemed to float. The mall would also have office spaces. There were even plans for horse and buggy rides around downtown Newark. Another tower, called "Grant USA I," was also planned. This 30-story tower would connect to the mall with a special walkway in the sky.
