That might not sound like much, but it marks the end of a 562-week streak of absolute structural stillness — no measurable growth, no shrinkage, nothing. Until now.

The last time we recorded a growth event was in early 2014, when the building rose an estimated 28 to 29 feet. At the time, it was dismissed as an atmospheric anomaly, a calibration issue, or “data corruption.” But this week’s increase can't be dismissed so easily, and there’s no sign of a simple explanation.

No Structural Work, No Permits, No Explanation

There have been no construction permits issued, no scaffolding seen, and no changes to the official height reported by the city. Yet laser-based measurements, GPS reflection data, and even old-fashioned theodolite readings from ground level all agree — the Empire State Building is now 1,486 feet tall, up from the official 1,452.

Several researchers have noted that the steel framework seems to be “self-adjusting,” as if the building’s internal tension is redistributing itself upward. Others argue this could be a new phase in the so-called “Vertical Creep Phenomenon” — a term coined after smaller skyscrapers in Midtown Manhattan were observed subtly shifting in height cycles over long periods.

Something Is Growing Beneath the City

Some theories suggest that the change originates underground. If the foundation is moving — rising, expanding, or being pushed up — the effect would manifest exactly as this height gain. But soil data doesn’t show uplift. In fact, the bedrock beneath Manhattan has been stable for centuries.

Unless, of course, the growth isn’t geological at all.

The Building That Refuses to Stay Still

For now, the cause is unknown. City engineers refused to comment. Whatever’s driving the Empire State Building to reach higher — whether mechanical, biological, or something else entirely — it’s waking up again.

Keep watching the skyline. It’s not done growing.