Currently, New York and Chicago boast the top 10 tallest buildings in the US, with populations of around 8 and 3 million, respectively. In contrast, Oklahoma City has a population of about 700,000.

“If you talk to 1,000 Americans and say, ‘Where do you think the tallest building in America should be?’ I don’t think anyone would pick Oklahoma City,” he said. In a daring move that ...