THIRTEEN YEARS AFTER terrorist attacks took down the twin towers of the World Trade Centre, tenants will begin moving in once more today.
The new structure, the 1,776 foot Freedom Tower, will today welcome publishing giant Conde Nast to the building.
One World Trade Centre, as the tower is officially known, is a 104-storey, $3.9 billion project designed to fill the site of the September 11 terror attacks, which killed 2,606 people.
It is America’s tallest building and the centrepiece of the 16-acre site where the destroyed twin towers once stood.
Patrick Foye, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey that owns both the building and the World Trade Centre site told the Associated Press that the Manhattan skyline is “whole again”.
He said One World Trade Centre “sets new standards of design, construction, prestige and sustainability; the opening of this iconic building is a major milestone in the transformation of Lower Manhattan into a thriving 24/7 neighbourhood.”
He added that the building is the “most secure office in America”.
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Conde Nast will move 170 of their 3,400 staff in now, taking up five floors. 3,000 more will arrive by early next year.
The building is 60% leased, with another 80,000 square feet going to the advertising firm Kids Creative, the stadium operator Legends Hospitality, the BMB Group investment adviser, and Servcorp, a provider of executive offices.
An observation deck eventually will be open to the public.
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