Hong Kong ( CNN ) -- The plan to raise what would be the world 's tallest building in a dizzyingly fast time is in danger of not getting off the ground at all . According to reports in Chinese state media , Broad Group , the developers for Sky City , have so far failed to get the proper permits required to proceed with construction . The company put the first spade in the ground in the 202-story project to much fanfare on July 20 . Developers hope it could be built within the year . The 838-meter construction in Changsha , the capital of China 's central Hunan province , would rise ten meters higher than the world 's current tallest building , the Burj Khalifa in Dubai . `` Broad is still currently in the beginning stages of arranging the construction project , '' a Changsha Urban Planning Department representative told CNN . `` So far , they 've undergone the process to obtain 136 mu [ 22 acres ] of land , but that 's it . They 're still in the very basic beginning stages . We 've been giving a lot of attention to this case , and everything they 've done has been according to law . '' For its part Broad Group insisted everything was above board . `` We have not yet started work on Changsha 's Sky City , '' a Broad Group press officer told CNN . He added that they have evidence to show no laws have been broken . Penalties for illegal construction vary widely across China between the countryside and cities , as well as between residential and commercial use . In Chengdu , the capital of Sichuan province , baseline fines for illegal construction range from 5 % to 10 % with investigative fees as much as doubling the amount . Additional penalties for various infractions can then double the original fine , according to one official government website . In the southwest megacity of Chongqing , the fine for the illegal construction of a commercial building is 50 % of the cost of construction , according to another government site . If similar penalties exist in Changsha as for Chongqing , Broad Group could be fined nearly $ 750 million . Sky City 's total construction cost is $ 1.46 billion . Construction advocates have touted Sky City 's green credentials : It will save on energy and land use , creating an all-in-one home , office , shopping , farming and recreation environment for some 30,000 residents that no one ever needs to leave . Critics -- including architectural experts and the Chinese public -- worry about safety because of the use of non-traditional building techniques and the pace of construction . Broad Group pioneered the use of pre-fabricated steel-and-concrete blocks -- akin to Lego blocks -- that can be quickly hoisted into place . While the Burj Khalifa took five years to build , Broad Group says this `` fast-building technology '' means it can construct Sky City in just ten months . Sky City will be completed in April 2014 , said Broad Group in earlier statements . However when questioned by CNN , the company 's press officer hesitated to provide a start date for construction . He added that plans will be announced at an as-yet unscheduled future press conference , leaving construction plans for Sky City firmly frozen on the ground .
Chinese state media reports Sky City does not have required permits to start construction . Sky City , developed by Broad Group , planned to be world 's tallest building at 838 meters . Broad Group to CNN : 'We have not yet started work ' Broad Group will use pre-fabricated steel-concrete blocks to build Sky City by April 2014 .