Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller Jr. had long wanted to build a new building complex in New York City’s Midtown area. He purchased land from Columbia University, with which Rockefeller signed an 87-year lease in 1928. Construction began on May 17, 1930. Initially, it was to be carried out in collaboration with the Metropolitan Opera, which would have built a new theater in the area. However, following the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Metropolitan withdrew from the project, leaving Rockefeller as the sole financier. Construction was completed on November 1, 1939.
