Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks destroyed Lower Manhattan’s skyline, construction has begun on the final commercial office tower planned for the 16-acre World Trade Center site. The 55-storey, 1,226-foot supertall tower at 200 Greenwich Street, known as 2 World Trade Center, will become the global headquarters of financial services company American Express. The company has agreed to become the building’s sole tenant. The nearly two-million-square-foot tower is expected to be fully occupied by 2031. Developed by Silverstein Properties on land owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the project brings progress to a part of the site that remained largely at foundation level for nearly 15 years because of planning and financing delays. According to reporting by The New York Post, state filings and announcements from American Express and Silverstein Properties, the tower is the final major commercial building in architect Daniel Libeskind’s post-9/11 master plan for the World Trade Center site.
Modern design replaces long-delayed foundation
British architecture firm Foster + Partners designed the tower with a series of stepped and offset sections. The design is intended to protect sunlight reaching the nearby National September 11 Memorial & Museum. The building will include more than an acre of outdoor space spread across landscaped terraces and roof gardens. Its office floors will have flexible layouts and could accommodate as many as 10,000 employees. American Express plans to move its workforce from its current headquarters at 200 Vesey Street in nearby Brookfield Place. The company has operated from that location since 1986 and will remain there until the new tower opens in five years. At the groundbreaking ceremony, Denise Pickett, American Express President of Enterprise Shared Services, spoke about the company’s long history in New York. “For American Express, this project is far more than a new headquarters,” Pickett said. “It is a reaffirmation of our belief in this city, our commitment to our colleagues, and our enduring connection to the community we have proudly called home for nearly two centuries. Since our founding in 1850, New York has shaped who we are, and in turn, we have sought to contribute to its growth, vitality, and success. Today’s groundbreaking marks the next chapter in that shared story.” Pickett said the new headquarters would also bring employees together in a workplace designed to encourage creativity and collaboration.
Tower expected to deliver billions in economic activity
The construction project is expected to create thousands of jobs and generate billions of dollars in economic activity across New York. An independent fiscal analysis by consulting firm AKRF, released with details of the project, estimates that construction will create more than 2,000 union jobs. It also projects about 3,200 direct and indirect jobs across New York City. The analysis estimates that construction will add $5.9 billion to New York City’s economy and $6.3 billion to the wider New York state economy. The new tower is also being planned with a range of energy and environmental features. It will use smart-building systems, fully electric heating and cooling and lower-emission construction materials. The project has been submitted for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification. Lisa Silverstein, Chief Executive Officer of Silverstein Properties, said completing the final commercial tower carries significance beyond the construction project itself. “This is an important milestone for our city, American Express, and Silverstein Properties,” Silverstein said during public remarks. “But it also symbolizes triumph, and what can be accomplished in this country following what happened here nearly 25 years ago.” In state press releases issued by the Executive Chamber, New York Governor Kathy Hochul praised the project’s commitment to union workers and American Express’ long-term investment in Lower Manhattan. She described the tower as a symbol of resilience and said it would strengthen the area as a global business centre.
World Trade Center reconstruction nears completion
When 2 World Trade Center is completed, it will fill the last major commercial office gap in the World Trade Center complex. The tower will join One World Trade Center, 3 World Trade Center and 4 World Trade Center, along with the Oculus transportation hub and the Perelman Performing Arts Center. The reconstruction of the site has taken decades. Developer Larry Silverstein leased the former World Trade Center complex just six weeks before the September 11 attacks brought down the original Twin Towers. While several other buildings on the site were completed over the following years, 2 World Trade Center repeatedly stalled. The project faced changes in potential anchor tenants, redesigns involving different architects and difficult conditions in the commercial real estate market. Initial foundation work was completed in 2013. The latest construction activity has brought large tower cranes to Greenwich Street as crews begin work on the structure’s steel core. A separate residential development planned for the World Trade Center site is still awaiting completion. Known as 5 World Trade Center, the project is being planned by a joint venture between Silverstein Properties and Brookfield Properties and is expected to include about 1,200 homes. The start of vertical construction at 2 World Trade Center nevertheless marks a major step towards completing the commercial redevelopment of Ground Zero. For American Express, the project will provide a new long-term headquarters at one of the most significant sites in modern New York history. For the World Trade Center campus, it brings the final planned commercial office tower closer to reality, 25 years after the attacks changed the Lower Manhattan skyline.
