A groundbreaking ceremony was held yesterday to mark the official resumption of construction on 2 World Trade Center, a 55-story commercial supertall in Manhattan’s Financial District. Designed by Norman Foster of Foster + Partners and developed by Silverstein Properties, the 1,226-foot-tall skyscraper is the final component of the 16-acre World Trade Center complex and is slated to yield 2 million rentable square feet of office space. Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) is the owner of the project site, which occupies a full block bounded by Vesey Street to the north, Fulton Street to the south, Church Street to the east, and Greenwich Street to the west.
The project was rebooted on February 25 when American Express announced its commitment to serve as the anchor tenant. Construction activities had already resumed prior to yesterday’s formal kickoff for the skyscraper, which has sat dormant at street level since 2011.
At the ceremony, city and project leaders unearthed symbolic dirt in a tent at the eastern end of the lot. This portion of the property was formerly occupied by a seasonal beer garden and will eventually be included within the skyscraper’s footprint.
2 World Trade Center groundbreaking ceremony. Photo by Michael Young.
2 World Trade Center groundbreaking ceremony. Photo by Michael Young.
The event featured speeches by Denise Pickett, president of Enterprise Shared Services (ESS) at American Express; Lisa Silverstein, CEO of Silverstein Properties; and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, all pictured below. Other speakers included Katherine Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey; Kevin J. O’Toole, chairman of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey; and Gary LeBarbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York.
Denise Pickett, President of Enterprise Shared Services (ESS) at American Express. Photo by Michael Young.
Lisa Silverstein, CEO of Silverstein Properties. Photo by Michael Young.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Photo by Michael Young.
Katherine Garcia, Executive Director at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. Photo by Michael Young.
Kein J. O’Toole, Chairman of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. Photo by Michael Young.
Gary LeBarbera, President of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York. Photo by Michael Young.
A new rendering of the skyscraper and a scale model were on display, previewing the tower’s stepped massing.
A new rendering of the World Trade Center complex seen at the groundbreaking ceremony for 2 World Trade Center. Photo by Michael Young.
2 World Trade Center scale model. Photo by Michael Young.
Following the programming, attendees were invited on tours of the 80th floor of 3 World Trade Center and the 40th floor of 7 World Trade Center to take in aerial views of the 2 World Trade Center site. The following photos from the tour show more materials and machinery on the property since our last update in early May, when crews were still removing sections of the wooden and metal coverings installed to protect the stalled superstructure during its nearly 15 years of dormancy.
Workers are focused around the core of the building, where deep voids are steadily being filled in with new steel rebar for the inner core walls between the elevator shafts and egress stairwells. Meanwhile, some of the existing duct work is being reconfigured in preparation for the building’s vertical progress in the coming months.
2 World Trade Center. Photo by Michael Young.
American Express plans to make the skyscraper its new global headquarters with a capacity of up to 10,000 employees across flexible floor arrangements. The building’s stepped terraces are expected to yield more than 1 acre of outdoor space, and the tower will be equipped with advanced technology and fully electric, energy-efficient systems. The project will also pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. American Express’s headquarters has been located at 200 Vesey Street since 1986.
2 World Trade Center. Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners.
2 World Trade Center. Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners.
2 World Trade Center. Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners.
2 World Trade Center. Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners.
2 World Trade Center. Rendering courtesy of Foster + Partners.
Cconstruction is projected to create more than 3,200 direct and indirect construction-related jobs in New York City. The project is also expected to contribute nearly $6 billion to the city’s economy and $6.3 billion to the economy of New York State.
2 World Trade Center’s anticipated completion date is slated for 2031.
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always those stupid fake groundbreaking ceremony…
(how many years since 9/11, reconstruction still not done)
Dude, have some f*cking respect and decency.
“Groundbreaking” design in the “Devil Wears Prada” sense. Yawn.
It’s not the last piece of the World Trade Center complex. There is still 5 WTC, which is in limbo.
It’s the last piece on the original 16-acre site. The new 5WTC was where the old Deutsche Bank tower was, which was never part of the Twin Towers.
It would be interesting to know what the specific reason why the superior original design was abandoned.
You said it! This bunch of stacked boxes is dull as dirt. The original design was the best of the (boring) bunch.
I’m just glad SOMETHING tall (that isn’t ultra-ugly) is finally being built. Could care less if its “dull”, though I do prefer the original diamond design.
Yes, the original diamond design was more elegant, but, this final design is fine, it steps up torwards 1 World Trade, it doesn’t compete with it..
100% agree with your comment. Personally, I always felt the diamond design was competing with One World Trade. This is a better fit. And to answer the original question, this is what AMEX wants and the customer is always right!
It’s been 20 years since that design was presented and we live in a significantly different world with different needs than in 2006. It’s 2 World Trade Center but it’s American Express’s tower, maybe the fact that the original tower looked great but never was built is indicative of style over substance.
No one from the office of Lord Norman Foster? It could have been interesting to have the architect’s point of view?
I wonder why Norman Foster, and Larry Silverstein, didn’t show up?
Larry is 95.
American Express
..And I believe American Express has agreed to finance the entire cost of this tower, I’m sure they had no problems getting a construction loan..
So in that first rendering One WTC was omitted, heheh
1st of the last bunch I mean
It is disappointing that New York City chose to fill such a historically significant site with a collection of uninspired glass structures. None of the buildings feel especially distinctive or memorable. Given the meaning and visibility of Ground Zero, it would have been fitting to see an architectural landmark of greater beauty, depth, and lasting significance.
The whole complex should have been the most fantastic and amazing architecture the world has seen – and fully completed two decades ago.
Agreed. The new WTC towers are fine as they are, if they were somewhere else throughout Manhattan. And they don’t look unified. Hudson Yards’ towers look more unified.
In hindsight, the re-building plans from 2002 and 2003 – including the chosen Libeskind plan – showed timidity. Very prevalent then was an abject fear of another jet terror strike if very tall towers were re-built. The first set of six plans in 2002 featured NO supertall buildings (the Beyer Blinder Belle plans). The second set of six in 2003 (from various architects) did have some plans with supertalls (including Libeskind’s). I recall at that time, many people said no new tall tower should/will ever again be built in NYC because no one will want to work in it due to fear. In 2002, NYC had only two supertalls (Empire State and Chrysler Buildings). 2026: Over 20, including those now under construction. Approved supertalls add even more – and taller than the original WTC.
Love the building. Let’s see if they can get the tenants.
Sending complimentary pairs of pantyhose to the gals featured.
Sometimes Old School still rules.
The tenants are guaranteed, it will be the new headquarters for American Excess..
American Express will occupy ALL of the tower.
Not the Four-Diamonded slanted rooftop original design by Lord Norman Foster. It was bueatiful. It was gorgeous. And it was supposed to be 1,362 feet tall. Now twenty years later and , in true NYC fashion, they managed to F it up to nobody’s liking. BTW, what is the fixation with these stupid-ass outdoor gardens in the sky?!? They never come to fruition. Just get 5 WTC built already and finally finally be done with it !!!
oK that’s great…. BUT… what about all that AMEX office space??…(across the street BTW now that’s empty?
They own that building too, so they must have something in mind.
I am so against with both of them, iam so against both being built,I lost friends,coworkers and 3 friends were there with their sar dogs and died from cancer, I’ve tried several times to go into the 9/11 museum, I get to the doors and stop,2 of my friends with their sar dogs they have pictures of these hero sar dogs in there, unless you lived in nyc it’s hard for people to 100 percent understand
I know why Mamdani is there but it disgusts me nonetheless that NYC had come to this: a US hating Muslim radical mayor at a place destroyed by radical
Muslims
2001: “Never Forget!”
2026: Looks like they did…
Red hat cult alert ⚠️
SteveS, you sound like nothing more than a brainwashed, xenophobic, white supremacist retard that mindlessly voted for the most corrupt pick-me president in American history. It will be a great day to not only read his overdue obituary, but to see you and right-wing sycophants spiral into a hilariously ego-crushing breakdown for a man that never supported you.
You people deserve your own bloody genocide for being the purest form of wasted flesh to walk the planet, contributing nothing to humanity’s progress, and being the real terrorists destroying the United States of America.
Only difference between your life and murdered children in Gaza is that they mattered more than you.
Hey Robert.
Go F yourself.
thanks
Thanks for showing which side of humanity you stand for Cholly Nick. How disappointing of you.
Thanks for partaking in the destruction of America, SteveS. I’m sure you must be happy with paying higher gas prices, losing your healthcare, and eating your food with forever chemicals sprinkled with a touch of Cyclspora. Eat up.
Follow-up to my previous post on 07/10/2026 and original design for 2 WTC. If they are going to continue to build-out the Hudson Yards even though I believe they have done enough already; Is there the remotest chance that Foster’s Diamond-roofed original design for 2 WTC could be picked-up and used elsewhere in the City? Just asking, bc we have enough flat-top skyscrapers and certainly DONT want anyone to build anything close to the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings. Infringing on their respective areas would look ridiculous to all New Yorkers.
Abandoning the one-truly architecturally significant tower design – the diamond-shaped super tall at #2 WTC is a real travesty! What a shame!
AGREE with Dennis.
Did anyone ask anyone in power why not the diamond tower?
Would have been a great branding opportunity for Amex.
Bizarre question. The building is spec’d by its new owner, so that should answer all questions. This is what AMEX wants.
Well then Good Luck Amex with your Blah design. Incredibly uninspiring with more of those asinine outdoor gardens. Let’s see how those work out. Especially in winter, and Didnt we just endure one of the most brutal winters here in last twenty years. Those outdoor garden spaces won’t survive a NY winter. They are a crock of BS. Larry Silverstein should have stuck to his guns and the Beautiful Gorgeous Original Diamond-Roof Design, and Height of 1,362 feet.