The Empire State Building's $1 billion IPO: By the numbers

"Soon, investors can take after King Kong and grab a piece of the Empire State Building," says Alex Veiga at the Associated Press. The owner of the tallest building in New York City plans to sell shares of the skyscraper to the public. The Malkin family, which owns the midtown Manhattan skyscraper, hopes the move will allow it to "simplify control" of its sizable real estate holdings, which include 12 office buildings in New York and Connecticut. Here, a brief guide to the IPO, by the numbers:

$1 billion

The target amount the Malkin family expects to raise in the sale

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$57.5 million

Amount Peter Malkin paid Donald Trump for the property in 2002

$550 million

Amount the Malkins have since spent making the tower more energy efficient and eco-friendly

$175 million to $215 million

Additional investments expected through 2013

$156.7 million

Revenue earned by the skyscraper through the first nine months of 2011

1931

Year construction was completed

1933

Year King Kong premiered, featuring the giant ape perched at the Empire State Building's pinnacle

102

Stories in the Empire State Building

160

Stories in Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world

1,050

Elevation, in feet, of the Empire State Building's 86th floor observatory

1,250

Elevation, in feet, of the 102nd floor observatory

2,716.5

Elevation, in feet, of the Burj Khalifa

10,000 to 20,000

People who visit the Empire State Building daily

7.7 million

Square feet of rentable office space in the Malkins' dozen office buildings, including the Empire State Building

10.5

Percentage of the Empire State Building's offices that are vacant, compared with an average of 6 percent in the surrounding neighborhood

Sources: Associated Press, Burj Khalifa, Digital Journal, Empire State Building, NY Times, Reuters