Upon further inspection, NEMA is definitely going to be taller than Fox Plaza, possibly up to
393 feet.
Read the planning document here.
The parcel is zoned for towers of 320 feet and 200 feet, but the developers were encouraged to pursue a 10% height extension available to them:
Quote:
At the suggestion of the Department, the Project Sponsor is seeking an
exception to apply the 10 percent height extension to the north and south towers.
The north tower has a prescribed height limit of 320 feet, and the 10 percent
height extension would result in a 352-foot-high building. The south tower has a
prescribed height limit of 200 feet, and the 10 percent height extension would
result in a 220-foot-high building.
Granting the exception for the 10 percent height extension will add to the sense
of slenderness of each tower and draw attention to the visually distinct top of
each tower. By allowing an additional 32 feet of height, the bulk of the north
tower can be reduced, further emphasizing the building’s slender vertical
proportions. The additional height of each tower will not adversely impact the
skyline when viewed from a distance, will not adversely impact access to light for
adjacent properties, and will not cast any new shadows on public open spaces in
the vicinity of the Project Site.
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So, the north tower will be 352 feet to the roof line, already almost as tall as Fox Plaza, including its mechanical penthouse. Beyond the roof line, NEMA's crown will extend up to another 41 feet:
Quote:
The north tower includes decorative architectural screens that extend to a
maximum of 41 feet above the roof, which requires an exception. This vertical
extension will enhance the visual appearance of the north tower and screen the
mechanical and elevator penthouses on the roof. The screen is not intended for
human occupancy.
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Quote:
Termination of the Tower. The top of the tower shall be massed in a
manner that will create a visually distinctive roof or other termination of
the building façade. Modifications to a proposed project may be required,
in the manner provided in Section 309, to achieve this purpose.
The north tower will terminate with a decorative architectural screen that
flanks the north and south façades. In keeping with the skin of the north
tower, the screen will be a glass curtain wall system. The north screen
will extend to a maximum height of 393 feet, and the south screen will
extend to a maximum height of 380 feet.
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Since the document is dated in 2007, this all refers to the ugly old Heller Manus design. But I'd assume the Handel Architects redesign is in keeping with the approved exceptions.