NEW YORK | One World Trade Center | 1,776' Pinnacle / 1,373' Roof | 108 FLOORS

[yankeesfan1000]

This page really has some of the best photos of this building I've ever seen. Thanks for sharing guys!

[jayden]

I love the signage.

[StrongIsland]

Fencing is down around West side Plaza and Vesey around Tower 1!

[NYguy]

Lucius Kwok (https://www.flickr.com/photos/luciuskwok/15559854642/sizes/h/)

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3946/15559854642_b0f8e43eb0_h.jpg

[dc_denizen]

beautiful pictures

[Nexis4Jersey]

from yesterday

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3947/15373472069_fbc8c48c0c_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pqv4Dg)
World Trade Center 1 Rising Tall (https://flic.kr/p/pqv4Dg) by Nexis4Jersey09 (https://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3935/15374451370_fcef4e8826_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pqA5KL)
Lower Manhattan Skyscrapers (https://flic.kr/p/pqA5KL) by Nexis4Jersey09 (https://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5598/15373465629_49630df642_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pqv2Je)
Flatbush Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn,New York (https://flic.kr/p/pqv2Je) by Nexis4Jersey09 (https://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

[NYguy]

King and Queen...



Yvon from Ottawa (https://www.flickr.com/photos/19787482@N04/15563785741/sizes/h/)

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5610/15563785741_13ab4d6404_h.jpg


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3931/15372030908_51cebec614_h.jpg

[NYC GUY]

I'm sure most people know these but I'd figure I'll post these cams for the WTC site.

Memorial
http://kerrigan.synology.me/earthcam.php?view=memorial
1 WTC
http://kerrigan.synology.me/earthcam.php?view=1wtc
Transit Hub
http://kerrigan.synology.me/earthcam.php?view=path
Hudson River
http://kerrigan.synology.me/earthcam.php?view=hudson
3 WTC
http://kerrigan.synology.me/earthcam.php?view=3wtc
1 WTC Base
http://kerrigan.synology.me/earthcam.php?view=1wtcbase
30 Park Place
http://kerrigan.synology.me/earthcam.php?view=30park

[NYguy]

by Syed K Ahmed (https://www.flickr.com/photos/syedakm/15578028132/sizes/o/)

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3955/15578028132_2485e0a55c_o.jpg



mitalpatelphoto (https://www.flickr.com/photos/mital01/15383679579/sizes/h/)

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5614/15383679579_dc982d006e_h.jpg



Fire At WiLLLL (https://www.flickr.com/photos/fireatwillll/14957740533/sizes/h/)

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5606/14957740533_3a0ffc7b88_h.jpg

[Detroit1995]

I know that a few outlets have reported that 1 WTC will most likely open in November. Honestly I go to this forum before I go anywhere else for information on anything related to skyscrapers. Does anybody know of a concrete date of when this building will be opened?

[NYC GUY]

I know that a few outlets have reported that 1 WTC will most likely open in November. Honestly I go to this forum before I go anywhere else for information on anything related to skyscrapers. Does anybody know of a concrete date of when this building will be opened?

The one I keep hearing is October 26th

[weidncol]

27th, not 26th

[Detroit1995]

Awesome, thanks!

[NYguy]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/photo/cassella/chi-architectural-photography-at-one-world-trade-center-20141017-story.html

Architectural photography at One World Trade Center


By Brian Cassella,
Tribune Photojournalist



http://www.trbimg.com/img-543f4f5f/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-004/1150/1150x647



http://www.trbimg.com/img-543f4f5b/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-002/1150/1150x647



http://www.trbimg.com/img-543f4f5d/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-003/1150/1150x647



http://www.trbimg.com/img-543f4f63/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-006/1150/1150x647



http://www.trbimg.com/img-543f4f6f/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-012/1150/1150x647



http://www.trbimg.com/img-543f4f70/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-013/1150/1150x647



http://www.trbimg.com/img-5441c166/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-040/1150/1150x647



http://www.trbimg.com/img-543f4f74/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-015/1150/1150x647



http://www.trbimg.com/img-543f4f76/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-016/1150/1150x647



http://www.trbimg.com/img-543f4f79/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-017/1150/1150x647



http://www.trbimg.com/img-543f4f83/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-021/1150/1150x647



http://www.trbimg.com/img-543f4f85/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-022/1150/1150x647



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http://www.trbimg.com/img-543f4f8f/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-026/1150/1150x647



http://www.trbimg.com/img-543f4f92/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-027/1150/1150x647



http://www.trbimg.com/img-543f4f9c/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-032/1150/1150x647



http://www.trbimg.com/img-543f4f6d/turbine/chi-one-world-trade-center-20141015-011/1150/1150x647

[NYguy]

PistolPete13 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/pistolpete13/15403168817/sizes/h/)

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5603/15403168817_58178cbd67_h.jpg



Reneé Leigh Stephenson (https://www.flickr.com/photos/adrndack/15443432731/sizes/l/)

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2942/15443432731_216492ffa0_h.jpg



https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3930/15419873321_44af9ee132_h.jpg

[NYguy]

Did a walk around today to see what's happening, and yeah, an opening seems imminent.


October 21, 2014


1.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919111/original.jpg


2.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919112/original.jpg


3.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919113/original.jpg


4.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919114/original.jpg


5.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919115/original.jpg


6. Site one of the day, the entrance that is NOT an entrance. People seemed thrilled by it anyway.


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919116/original.jpg


7.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919117/original.jpg


8.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919118/original.jpg


9. Looking 1,374 ft to the top (don't tell the Port Authority)...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919119/original.jpg


10. This tower is part Transformer...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919120/original.jpg


11.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919121/original.jpg


12. Reflection on the fins...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919122/original.jpg


13. Another look 1,374 ft up...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919123/original.jpg


14. These people don't know they're being robbed a few feet. Who am I to tell'em...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919124/original.jpg


15.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919125/original.jpg


16. More reflection...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919126/original.jpg


17. Site two of the day, West St plaza...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919127/original.jpg


18.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919128/original.jpg


19.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919129/original.jpg


20. A look at why we have two heights, (one being official)...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919130/original.jpg


21.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919132/original.jpg


22. All that aside, this is the third and best sight site of the day, the entrance to the observation deck...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919133/original.jpg


23. It's been too long since I looked down on lower Manhattan...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919134/original.jpg


24.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919136/original.jpg


25. Far too long...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919137/original.jpg


26. Legends is still at it, working to get an opening for next year. So we'll wait a little more...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919138/original.jpg


27.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919139/original.jpg


28.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919140/original.jpg


29. The entrance from where the official height is taken...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919141/original.jpg


30. Armed...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919142/original.jpg


31.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919143/original.jpg


32.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919144/original.jpg


33.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919145/original.jpg


34.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919146/original.jpg


35.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157919147/original.jpg

[BoM Trespasser]

Great pics NYguy of the building, the people, all the activity getting 1WTC ready for the opening, and the "transformer":)

[Rbsanford]

Absolutely stunning. Those pictures are so beautiful, NYguy, quite a few made my jaw drop.

[NYC GUY]

Base lit up.

[Alx99]

awesome and wonderful photos NYguy thanks for the photographic contribution

[N830MH]

Wow! What a great shots! I'm really like it lots. It's great! Can't wait to be done soon. It's perfect! :tup::tup:

[Lecom]

kJiLFgYQmvE

[NYguy]

Great pics NYguy of the building, the people, all the activity getting 1WTC ready for the opening, and the "transformer":)

Absolutely stunning. Those pictures are so beautiful, NYguy, quite a few made my jaw drop.

awesome and wonderful photos NYguy thanks for the photographic contribution



Despite all of the flaws with this tower, it is still a monumental building, and will no doubt be one of the top tourist attractions.

A few more from yesterday...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157933865/original.jpg



Looks like a cue to the observation deck (maybe officials and media?)


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157933866/original.jpg



http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157933868/original.jpg



http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157933869/original.jpg



http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157934008/original.jpg



http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157934010/original.jpg



http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157935132/original.jpg



http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157935131/original.jpg



http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157935133/original.jpg



http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/157935134/original.jpg

[chris08876]

Love it. Its sure to be one of the top destinations in the city. Even now, once you get off the path and walk towards Church St., its just wall to wall tourists.

[NYguy]

http://www.radioworld.com/article/nyc-rooftop-rf-options-widen--/272952

NYC Rooftop RF Options Widen


http://www.radioworld.com/Portals/0/rw-nyc%20transmission%20empire%20blue.jpg


http://www.radioworld.com/Portals/0/1%20WTC%20building.jpghttp://www.radioworld.com/Portals/0/rw-nyc%20transmission%20shane.jpg

The Empire State Building is in a competition for broadcast transmission tenants. One engineer says rivalry between rooftop platforms is good for New York broadcasters.

by Randy J. Stine
on 10.21.2014


Radio and TV broadcasters here are being presented with two high-rise transmission options that eventually could alter the rooftop antenna skyline in the country’s largest media market.
As we have reported, Durst Organization is hoping to establish an RF transmission platform atop the new One World Trade Center downtown, and is seeking broadcaster commitments. Now the owners of the Empire State Building have shared with Radio World some details of a tower reconfiguration project, pending approval of its TV and radio broadcast tenants.

Radio groups appear to be moving forward cautiously, according to market observers, with their decision either to stay put at Empire or to be lured to the rooftop system proposed at 1 WTC.

Durst, a real estate development firm, controls 1 WTC in a partnership with The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Company officials said the building has space for every station in the market to install transmitters and sufficient mast capacity for all to participate in a hypothetical master antenna on the 408-foot spire. The rooftop has been leased to Durst Broadcasting LLC, the entity that will run the proposed broadcast facility, and is viewed by developers as a successor to the broadcast facilities lost in the collapse of the twin towers in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The skyscraper, which stretches to 1,776 feet, now is expected to open in November when its first tenants take occupancy, according to John Lyons, vice president and director of broadcast communications for Durst.

Multimedia publisher Condé Nast is expected to occupy some 1.2 million square feet on floors 20 through 44 at 1 WTC, according to various published reports.

“We are still talking to broadcasters” about the proposed FM antenna, Lyons said.

Currently, most of the market’s major radio and TV broadcasters operate transmission facilities at the Empire State Building. Empire, which stands 1,254 feet tall plus a 200-foot steel broadcast tower.

Empire is in mid-town Manhattan. Nineteen FM radio stations call it home to their primary signals; 16 of those are on a three-bay, four-sided radio master antenna built by Electronics Research Inc. and installed in 1994. Three FMs are on a second smaller master antenna, often referred to as Empire’s “mini-master.” The master FM combiner is on the 85th floor; the mini-master FM combiner is on the 87th.

Fifteen TV stations also operate from the building — 11 full-power and four LPTV stations — with a combiner on the 85th floor.

Pending broadcaster commitments, officials at Empire have proposed building a 19-station master FM combiner and antenna, said Shane O’Donoghue, director of broadcasting for Empire State Realty Trust.

The timing of the Empire tower reconfiguration project depends in part on the FCC’s repurposing of the 600 MHz spectrum, expected in 2015; this may result in some TV broadcasters choosing to move frequency, O’Donoghue said. “The TV repack is going to force us to reconfigure TV facilities and antennas, but it also is presenting [Empire] an opportunity to offer radio broadcasters the chance for a new radio transmission antenna infrastructure,” he said.

Lyons at 1 WTC told Radio World previously that the TV frequency repurposing is creating uncertainty and making radio and TV broadcasters reluctant to commit to the new RF structure there.

The Master FM Antenna Group at Empire is a consortium of broadcasters that owns the FM combiner (also built by ERI in 1994). The group includes iHeartMedia, CBS Radio, New York Public Radio, Emmis Communications and several other broadcast groups. Empire owns the master FM antenna and leases space to broadcasters.

Rob Bertrand, chief engineer for CBS Radio in New York and member of the executive committee for the Master FM Antenna Group, said Empire is still working through significant logistics to develop a plan and present it to the broadcasters. “We have seen a number of potential designs for both the antenna and combiner systems. We have yet to see the terms associated with those plans.”

But the consortium, which exists to maintain the facilities at Empire, is not actually in a position to greenlight the proposed antenna reconfiguration project, he said. “The consortium does not act unilaterally; so each broadcaster will be making decisions independently in terms of what to support at the Empire State Building or whether to consider moving to One World Trade Center,” Bertrand said.

A challenge at Empire will be managing the sequence of events if not all broadcasters elect to remain at Empire.

“One of the big questions we have is what happens if not everyone buys into what will be proposed at Empire. How do you migrate broadcasters if not everyone is on board?” Bertrand said.

But Bertrand believes competition between two or more rooftop platforms in New York City is good for broadcasters. “I think it helps drive innovation and drives the market in terms of lease structures and that sort of thing.”
Bertrand said the master FM system at Empire “is 20 years old, so it’s time to look at the facilities and come up with a new long-term plan.”

O’Donoghue of Empire said he has “complete design plans and specifications” for its tower reconfiguration. He said construction documents have been bid and leveled with pricing for all options, which have been presented to broadcast tenants.

“There are still many unknowns with the FCC TV spectrum auction. There are many variables still in play there. We want as much data as possible from the FCC before we finalize terms of our project,” O’Donoghue said.

Investment bank Greenhill & Co. in October released a study in conjunction with the commission that estimated the value of the TV spectrum to give broadcasters some guidance, O’Donoghue said. “We are in close contact with the FCC. I expect we will have a much clearer picture at some point in 2015,” he said.

Once broadcasters are ready to proceed, “we stand ready to execute” the design and construction plans, O’Donoghue said. He declined to say what level of commitment from tenants would be needed before ESB would proceed.

Despite Empire’s push for a new master FM antenna, O’Donoghue said the current antenna and combiner system is in good shape and has been well maintained. “There is no immediate need for radio broadcasters to make upgrades. This is just an opportunity to take advantage of the timing of the TV spectrum repack.”

O’Donoghue said the final decision about when to proceed with the tower reconfiguration project will be Empire’s. He described the working relationship between Empire and the Master FM Antenna Group as a partnership that manages the FM combiner, transmitter rooms and the rest of the antenna infrastructure.

“I’m sure will have their preferences. We are acting more as facilitators and project managers.”

Empire, whose radio broadcast antenna history dates to 1930, has worked with several consultants and antenna manufacturers capable of building a master radio antenna system within the timeframe of the FCC requirements for the DTV buildout, O’Donoghue said. ERI, Dielectric, Jampro and others have participated in the FM master antenna bidding process, he said.

The reconfiguration project would include replacing Empire’s older Alford combiner and antenna, in place since 1965 and currently used as a backup, he said. The Alford was the first master FM combiner system anywhere that was designed to allow individual FM stations to broadcast simultaneously from one source.

O’Donoghue said a planned new RF shield will isolate the main antenna from the auxiliary antenna. In addition, the building has already installed RF monitoring systems above and beyond FCC regulatory requirements, he said.

[b]Radio stations would continue to broadcast from Empire during construction. “Building a new aux antenna would be the first part of the project. That would be completed in one summer construction season,” according to O’Donoghue. “Then all 19 of the FMs would be placed on the new auxiliary antenna during construction of the new master FM antenna.”

As for the competitive situation, O’Donoghue, who has led Empire’s broadcasting facilities since 2008, said he welcomes the new rooftop competition from 1 WTC.

“We think it strengthens the broadcasters’ understanding that they are going to get the best by staying at Empire. Not only do we have the internal capability with our engineering expertise but also with the construction management team in place here,” he said.

He emphasized that the Empire State Building, in addition to the broadcast antenna tower, has significant antenna aperture space on all sides of the building from the 90th to 102nd floors, known as the Mooring Mast, according to O’Donoghue. “We call the unique top of the building the Mooring Mast since it was conceptually designed to moor dirigibles, which was a new way to travel in the early 1930s.” No aircraft ever did moor there.

The unique aperture space and lower setbacks on floors 81, 85, 87, 88, 89 and 90accommodate auxiliary antennas and communications antennas for STL, electronic news gathering and point-to-point microwave, O’Donoghue added.

Also offering broadcast infrastructure in the city is the Condé Nast Building at 4 Times Square in midtown Manhattan. That building, owned and managed by Durst, has 14 FM transmitters and a Shively master FM antenna installed in 2004. The site is used primarily as an auxiliary platform for radio broadcasters and some television, according to Durst officials.

[WTCman7301]

We have a opening date!

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/NY-DE983_CEREMO_G_20140911192852.jpg

One World Trade to Open Nov. 3, But Ceremony is TBD

by Eliot Brown
on October 23, 2014

Nine years after ground was broken on North America’s tallest building, One World Trade Center is set to open its doors Nov. 3 to publisher Condé Nast, its principal tenant, according to people familiar with the date.

Just don’t expect any fanfare—at least at first.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which is developing the tower, is planning an official ceremony to mark the occasion later in November, after the Nov. 4 election, representatives of the agency said. The Port Authority is controlled by the governors of the two states.

“Governor Cuomo’s and Governor Christie’s offices have been contacted and we are trying to find a mutual date that works,” said Chris Valens, a spokesman for the Port Authority. “But obviously the end of October is highly problematic for anyone who is at all aware of government and political reality.”

The decision comes after the two governors’ offices and others involved spent weeks going back and forth about dates, ultimately failing to agree on one before Condé’s move, according to multiple people familiar with the discussions.

Of course, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have been busy. Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, faces reelection on Nov. 4, while Mr. Christie is the chairman of the Republican Governors Association, and has been traveling frequently to other states.

Condé’s move on Nov. 3 doesn’t include the entire company. It is planning to move in multiple waves from its midtown offices, ultimately finishing up in January.

[chris08876]

Awsome! Its been a long journey and its now coming to a glorious close. :D

[Nexis4Jersey]

from earlier this evening

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3950/15609614711_da1aebae68_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pMnmC8)World Trade Center 4 & 1 in Lower Manhattan (https://flic.kr/p/pMnmC8) by Nexis4Jersey09 (https://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

[Enigmatism415]

More good news: the eastern-most lane of the West Side Highway's northbound section is being reopened to general traffic as I type this post.

...in other words, the lane running closest to the entrance of One World Observatory...

[NYguy]

...in other words, the lane running closest to the entrance of One World Observatory...

They are really going to need that space for the pedestrian flow, or at least it seems that way now with the number of people using it to access the memorial. When the observation deck opens, I can see a huge crowd there. Even though it's moved back, it's still very close to the street, every little bit counts.


Anyway...


abRuELBGGEI

[photoLith]

The construction and opening of this skyscraper has been the slowest process ever. They freaking built 432 Park Place which is basically the same height in like a year, this thing has taken the better part of a decade to get completed.

[Submariner]

The construction and opening of this skyscraper has been the slowest process ever. They freaking built 432 Park Place which is basically the same height in like a year, this thing has taken the better part of a decade to get completed.

While there was a lot of PA / NY&NJ incompetence involved, the process was just a bit more complicated.

For starters, they had to rebuild the 16 acre foundation destroyed when the towers came down. They had to deal with rebuilding the PATH infrastructure and deal with rail lines that, if I am not mistaken, run partially under 1WTC. Also, keep in mind that 432 Park is a far more simplistic design and didn't require things like a three foot thick concrete blast wall surrounding what I can only imagine to be a hugely overbuilt core and base.

[NYguy]

40under (https://www.flickr.com/photos/40under/15619613532/sizes/h/)

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5601/15619613532_b0d08bccae_h.jpg

[Detroit1995]

beautiful pictures as usual, to everyone who contributes photos thank you very much

[NYguy]

E Rabeck (https://www.flickr.com/photos/erabeck/15601826841/sizes/h/)

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3939/15601826841_91ef6b314d_h.jpg



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https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3951/15601828301_137d6418dc_h.jpg

[QUEENSNYMAN]

Latest video from yesterday also shows 432 Park Avenue and other supertalls off topic for here: BY: QUEENSNY121

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ5PJaSz5Ms&feature=youtu.be

[BoM Trespasser]

I too like the WTC signage, and especially the entrance sign that says "ONE WORLD OBSERVATORY", very nice.

[Hudson11]

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3949/15621652931_b1b5f63f0c_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pNr4aD)
New York Harbor-4 (https://flic.kr/p/pNr4aD) by cde39 (https://www.flickr.com/people/105939186@N06/), on Flickr

[Islander]

I too like the WTC signage, and especially the entrance sign that says "ONE WORLD OBSERVATORY", very nice.

Now I keep reading "One World Trade Center" as "One World Trade Center."

[NYguy]

Now I keep reading "One World Trade Center" as "One World Trade Center."

That was somewhat the explanation for the naming of the observatory, "One World..."



The rising city...


beanhead4529 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexiustan/15329736838/sizes/h/)

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3954/15329736838_b63151c461_h.jpg



https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3874/15301072351_2159fb3f5b_h.jpg

[Submariner]

What is that smaller crane in the foreground for?

[NYguy]

http://online.wsj.com/articles/for-tourists-a-3-9-billion-view-1414367952

For Tourists, a $3.9 Billion View
One World Trade Center Hopes Visitors Generate One-Quarter of Tower’s Revenue


http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/NA-CD247_WTCVIE_M_20141026172548.jpg


By ELIOT BROWN
Oct. 26, 2014


When One World Trade Center, the country’s tallest and most expensive office tower, opens its doors to its first tenants early next month, its owners aren’t just counting on rent from office space to pay the bills. They are counting on millions of tourists looking for a view.

The owners of the skyscraper that cost $3.9 billion to build are expecting the observation deck—just three floors of the tower compared with 70 office floors—to bring in nearly one-fourth of the building’s annual revenue by 2019, or a projected $53 million, according to representatives of the ownership group.

More than 3.5 million visitors a year are expected to zip up high-speed elevators to an observation space 1,250 feet above lower Manhattan. While the developer of the observation space, Legends Hospitality LLC, hasn’t announced prices, they are expected to be competitive with the Empire State Building’s observatory, which charges $29 and up for an adult.

Even with the revenue from tourists and pricey office rents, the building is likely to be worth less than its construction cost, an unusual circumstance due largely to lengthy delays in building and security measures, including a 20-story concrete- and-steel base. The building’s owners, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Durst Organization, are looking at the deck—set to open in the spring—to help close the gap.

If the office space is 95% leased by 2019, as hoped, the group projects it would have $144 million in annual operating income. Manhattan towers with similar income today are valued at some $3 billion, though sometimes considerably more.

“It is going to be a world- class visitor experience,” said Patrick Foye, the Port Authority’s executive director. “We think that it is an attractive financial proposition.”

The sky-high ambitions are based on a surprising fact: observation decks have become cash machines. Amid a growing trend of tourists clamoring for views, the Empire State Building now gets more than 40% of its revenue from its two floors of observation decks, bringing in $101 million in 2013, up from $78 million in 2010, according to filings by the building’s owner.

Chicago’s Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears tower, has said traffic has exploded since it added a set of clear boxes that allow visitors to stand out on glass and look down, attracting 1.5 million visitors a year, up more than 30% since 2009. A layer of glass shattered on the floor of one of the boxes in May, generating many headlines—it was nonstructural glass, posing no risk, the owners said—and visitors have continued to stream in for the views.

Not to be left behind, the nearby John Hancock Center in Chicago added a sloped glass feature that allows tourists to lean and tilt out over the city’s streets.

On the West Coast, the owner of Los Angeles’ U.S. Bank Tower—the city’s tallest—is converting empty office floors to an observation deck that opens out into the air. In Manhattan, a new skyscraper west of Midtown is planning a large deck, causing some to wonder if there is enough demand for all the observatories.

“It’s got to be at least four times more valuable as observation space than as office space,” said Richard Stockton, chief executive of the U.S. arm of Overseas Union Enterprise Ltd., which owns the U.S. Bank Tower. He said he considered other uses like hotel space or residential space for the floors, ultimately settling on a deck. “You can charge between $20 and $30 for tickets to go to the top and people will stay there on average 20 minutes or so,” he said.

Office towers aren’t the only beneficiaries. Observation wheels like the London Eye—mammoth-sized Ferris wheels—are sprouting around the world. Singapore, Seattle and Las Vegas each have their own, while one is planned for New York’s Staten Island. Even nature can’t escape the fad: entrepreneurs have put a glass walkway on the edge of the Grand Canyon where tourists can look down.

Just what explains the trend isn’t entirely clear. Many in the industry believe demand is growing in part because operators are positioning the observatories as experiences akin to theme-park rides. Such is the thinking behind features like the Willis Tower’s glass box, or a glass floor recently installed at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Others point to changes in tourism, in which growing ranks of visitors are looking for more than just museums and shopping in cities.

In turn, a small industry of observation deck operators has been born. For instance, Legends Hospitality, the operator of One World Trade, specializes in concessions and sports marketing and is owned in part by the New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys. It will share a portion of its revenue with One World Trade’s owners.

The Port Authority previously intended to include a high-end restaurant at the building’s peak akin to the original Twin Towers’ popular venue, Windows on the World. But it ultimately decided it could get more money by devoting as much space as possible to the observation facility, which is to include a restaurant and catering space.

The World Trade Center’s original south tower also included an observation deck popular with tourists.

In 2013, lower Manhattan had an estimated 9.6 million visitors, according to the Downtown Alliance, a number expected to grow as the World Trade Center is completed.

Whatever is driving the demand for observation venues, the trend is a welcome one for One World Trade. Leasing has been slow amid a sluggish office market, as employers pack their workers into less space and big banks cut back.

The 104-story tower—when counting mechanical floors and the bunker-like base—is to open less than 60% leased, and hasn’t announced a large deal with a private tenant since publisher Condé Nast in 2010. It lowered its rents on much of its remaining space earlier this year, and many wonder if it will indeed be able to fill up by 2019, as its owners are expecting.

Of course, the tower was conceived more as a symbol of resilience than a cash cow. Still, the owners are looking to get as much income as they can from the tower, and even next year, it is slated to turn an operating profit of about $55 million. “We want to earn a fair return,” said the Port Authority’s Mr. Foye.



http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/NA-CD248_WTCVIE_DV_20141026172737.jpg



Meanwhile, at look at how security around the site is shaping up...


http://www.downtownexpress.com/2014/10/24/breaking-w-t-c-offices-begin-reopening-monday-with-tighter-security-on-liberty-st/

W.T.C. offices begin reopening Monday with tighter security on Liberty St.


http://2irfbl23rse12dglqd39cw6v.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/WTCPDF.png


October 24, 2014
BY JOSH ROGERS


Port Authority employees on Monday, will be the first office workers to return to work at the World Trade Center since terrorists took the Twin Towers down just over 13 years ago. The reopening of 4 W.T.C. on Oct. 27 will ironically mean less freedom on Liberty St., as most vehicles will no longer be able to get through.

Cars and trucks doing business at the W.T.C., or making deliveries to Liberty St. residents or stores, or carrying residents will be permitted with proper ID. People visiting residents on the block will also be permitted to drive through after a short stop expected to be done in under two minutes.

The city official said although residents in cars will have to show ID, that short slowdown will be counterbalanced by the fact that there will be less traffic on Liberty now that cars and trucks will no longer be able to use it as a through street.

In addition, Cedar St. traffic has recently been reversed to flow west, and Washington St. south of the W.T.C. will be reopened to traffic some time next week.

The following Monday, Nov. 3, the first workers will return to One W.T.C., a k a the Freedom Tower, when Conde Nast moves into the building.

[weidncol]

Actually office workers at 7 WTC were the first to return...

[NYguy]

Actually office workers at 7 WTC were the first to return...


Seven WTC was never considered part of the orignal WTC site, though it was part of the complex. That's one of the reasons that rebuilding got done right away.

Workers moving into the Freedom Tower and tower 4 will be the first tenants back on the complex site.


Meanwhile, I don't think I like this base lighting...


October 27, 2014


1.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009759/original.jpg


2.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009761/original.jpg


3.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009762/original.jpg


4.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009764/original.jpg


5.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009766/original.jpg


6.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009768/original.jpg


7.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009769/original.jpg


8.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009771/original.jpg


9.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009773/original.jpg


10. I do like the west entrance though, my favorite of course...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009775/original.jpg


11.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009778/original.jpg


12.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009781/original.jpg


13.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009784/original.jpg


14. The higher, north side...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009786/original.jpg


15.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009789/original.jpg


16.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009792/original.jpg


17.
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009795/original.jpg

[Nexis4Jersey]

my WTC Photos from yesterday

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3932/15020052904_1db5995f30_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/oTgGro)
Lower Manhattan & Jersey City Skyline viewed from Secaucus Junction (https://flic.kr/p/oTgGro) by Nexis4Jersey09 (https://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3934/15454171729_fdf3069448_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pxCEQH)
World Trade Center 1 viewed from the New Jersey Turnpike (https://flic.kr/p/pxCEQH) by Nexis4Jersey09 (https://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3936/15638139081_1b874aedb4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pPTxVB)
CSX RiverLine & Midtown Manhattan Skyline viewed from the Turnpike (https://flic.kr/p/pPTxVB) by Nexis4Jersey09 (https://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

[NewYorque]

I've been to New York in 2008. At that time, the tallest building of NYC was the Empire State Building.
Imagine how surprising it is to think that, in only 6 years, the situation changed from:

- no skyscraper taller than the old ESB, WTC is still an empty hole, I was even not sure if it would be rebuilt someday

To:

-1WTC almost complete, 432 Park Avenue almost complete, many projects of other supertalls, yet a few ones under construction.


I wonder if all this is due to a change in the policy of construction (as supertalls projects were cooled down by the post 9/11 memories), or if it's just a coincidence that so many mushrooms sprout at the same time :)

[JR Ewing]

Absolutely stunning!!! :cheers::cheers::cheers:

http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/158009764/original.jpg

[chris08876]

Bloomberg's policies and leadership had a big role in the boom and the success of the city today. DeBlasio seems to be following in his footsteps.

[Perklol]

http://2irfbl23rse12dglqd39cw6v.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/WTCPDF.png


October 24, 2014
BY JOSH ROGERS

What's the point of building streets if no one can use them?

[weidncol]

Taxis, buses, delivery vehicles, residents and tenants can enroll in what's called TAP (Trusted Access Program) where you are gained access and can bypass the screening upon showing the credentials.

Cyclists and pedestrians can use the streets freely.

[chris08876]

What's the point of building streets if no one can use them?

Just Americans being paranoid and completely altering their ways and reducing their own freedom for the illusion of safety. Similar to airport security and the NSA. But... thats for another thread. While security is nice, overdoing it does give off a bad vibe and really shows that the attacks still to this day severely damaged our ego. We never really recovered, as shown by the overprotected measures being taken. The fear is still there. Anyways, ignore my rant as I mean no offense to anybody. Just me getting how I feel about it out of the way. :yes:

[chris08876]

Take the Tour | One World Observatory

jHdrnjx8O3s
One World Observatory
Oct 28, 2014

http://d5ab6921412580f0c59d-97bf4c31984c35ce2f0ee20eeaa526ab.r43.cf5.rackcdn.com/content/uploads/2014/10/News_OWO_logo.jpg

Get a sneak peek of One World Observatory and explore three levels filled with innovation and inspiration. Opening Spring 2015.

[Roadcruiser1]

Just Americans being paranoid and completely altering their ways and reducing their own freedom for the illusion of safety. Similar to airport security and the NSA. But... thats for another thread. While security is nice, overdoing it does give off a bad vibe and really shows that the attacks still to this day severely damaged our ego. We never really recovered, as shown by the overprotected measures being taken. The fear is still there. Anyways, ignore my rant as I mean no offense to anybody. Just me getting how I feel about it out of the way. :yes:

Seriously? The World Trade Center has always carried a label of being an attack site. Before 9/11/01 terrorists tried to blow up the World Trade Center on 2/26/1993. They set up a bomb, and detonated the thing underneath the Twin Towers. They hoped it would have destroyed the complex, but failed. That's why 9/11/2001 even happened in the first place.

[Perklol]

Taxis, buses, delivery vehicles, residents and tenants can enroll in what's called TAP (Trusted Access Program) where you are gained access and can bypass the screening upon showing the credentials.

Cyclists and pedestrians can use the streets freely.

Got it. The only thing I'm wondering is if its a long process, almost like a recently graduated high school student applying for a job at McDonald's.

We never really recovered, as shown by the overprotected measures being taken. The fear is still there. Anyways, ignore my rant as I mean no offense to anybody. Just me getting how I feel about it out of the way. :yes:

I hear ya. I can see tenants put off by too much security/bag checking etc..

OT, but this is only going to hurt WFC/BP. Its such a hassle getting there as it is.

[mrjoanofarc]

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7579/15471173260_1eba9bd8da_o.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3941/15654063541_64f2fe2476_o.jpg

I can't get this video to embed, and it really makes me sad I can't! Here it is: http://youtu.be/BbDBqIjIYko


BbDBqIjIYko



Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/110096778

http://www.oneworldobservatory.com/#the-rise

I'm liking this ad campaign so far... really epic, beautiful, & intriguing.

[NYguy]

Bloomberg's policies and leadership had a big role in the boom and the success of the city today. DeBlasio seems to be following in his footsteps.

Neither Bloomberg nor de Blasio had anything to do with WTC development, which was happening one way or the other. People forget sometimes just how large the complex was. All they are doing now is replacing that space. Bloomberg was very influential in getting the Hudson Yards going, even if he wanted a stadium there.

Both had a hand in midtown east. But what's happening now is basic "turnover". The city always needs top of the line office space, but hasn't really kept up. That's what alarmed the mayors, as they know the towers are what hold businesses here.

[NYguy]

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20141028/financial-district/it-will-cost-you-32-go-top-of-1-world-trade-center

It Will Cost You $32 to Go to the Top of 1 World Trade Center


jHdrnjx8O3s


By Julie Shapiro
October 28, 2014


Visitors will soon be able to travel to the top of the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere — but it will set you back $32.

One World Observatory will launch in spring 2015 at One World Trade Center, offering sprawling views of the city, New York Harbor and beyond from 1,250 feet above the street, officials announced this week.

Admission will cost $32 for adults, with small discounts for children and seniors.

Ticketholders will be swept up to the observatory — on the 100th, 101st and 102nd floors of the tower — by Sky Pod elevators that will make the trip in less than 60 seconds, the observatory said in a press release on Tuesday.

Visitors will be greeted by multimedia exhibits telling the story of the construction of One World Trade Center, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing views in every direction. Guides will be on hand to point out landmarks and answer guests' questions about New York City.

The 120,000-square-foot venue will include a casual cafe, a sit-down restaurant and a space for catered events.

Tickets will be sold for a particular day and time and will be available starting in early 2015. Admission costs $32 for adults, $26 for children ages 6 to 12 and $30 for senior citizens ages 65 and up. Children 5 and under are free.

Family members of 9/11 victims will be able to get in free, as will 9/11 rescue and recovery workers. Members of the U.S. military will receive discounted admission.


That was my first time noticing that virtual sky portal thing. Can't wait to get up there.

[hunser]

$32 ain't cheap. Maybe when other observatories (30 HY, 1 Vanderbilt) open, prices will begin to drop.

[BoM Trespasser]

In the renderings the podium lighting looked like a whitish light, as compared to this yellowish, almost incandescent hue. If they can do red, white and blue, we know they can change the colors. Has someone decided they like this "warmer" tone better? Are they still testing?

[NYC GUY]

Channel 7 did a small thing on the Observatory opening. In the background the base was lit up and it looked much more like a pure white instead of the warmer tone shown above. I'm hoping they do the changing color scheme like this.
http://cbsnewyork.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/1wtcnightlightsample_111115_620_1.jpg

[chris08876]

How much where the tickets for the original WTC observation deck? I know inflation and price changes have occurred, but I'm curious how it stacks up against the $32.

I guess considering the ESB is $29, its really not that pricey for the deck.

[adrianharvey]

The Shard in London costs £32.95 for an adult, which converts today at $53.10 - so I'd say $32 to go up One World Trade is a bargain!

[chris08876]

Something I'd gladly pay. Sad part is that I never actually went on the original deck. I was in 5th grade when the towers went down. So for me, this is a completely new experience to be honest. Sad because my only memory of them was seeing them come down. First time I went into the city I was I believe in 8th grade. NYC was a late experience for me, and my only recollection of the towers was from images and videos of that day. :(

[antinimby]

Taxis, buses, delivery vehicles, residents and tenants can enroll in what's called TAP (Trusted Access Program) where you are gained access and can bypass the screening upon showing the credentials.

Cyclists and pedestrians can use the streets freely.What's to prevent terrorists from hijacking one of those TAP enrolled vehicles and get through the security that way?

[SkyscrapersOfNewYork]

Is there now freee movement over the entire site? is the memorial intergrated with the street now?

[Detroit1995]

I'm still very new when it comes to understanding how threads work on this form. So when do these "construction" threads actually end? Will I be able to see all these posts for the past 7 years once the building opens? One World Trade Center is basically finished so where does this conversation go?

[chris08876]

I'm still very new when it comes to understanding how threads work on this form. So when do these "construction" threads actually end? Will I be able to see all these posts for the past 7 years once the building opens? One World Trade Center is basically finished so where does this conversation go?

In the "Completed Project Threads Archive".

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/forumdisplay.php?f=348

[NYguy]

I'm still very new when it comes to understanding how threads work on this form. So when do these "construction" threads actually end? Will I be able to see all these posts for the past 7 years once the building opens? One World Trade Center is basically finished so where does this conversation go?

"Basically" finished is not the same as finished. I don't want to open a thread in the buidings & architecture forum and see photos of a bulding that's not completed.

This thread will be laid to rest with all of the completed projects in this section of the forum...
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/forumdisplay.php?f=348



Is there now freee movement over the entire site? is the memorial intergrated with the street now?

The memorial is accessible from the northwest and southeast portions of the site. There is a fence on Greenwich. I'm assuming the fence will come down on the north end when the Freedom Tower opens.



$32 ain't cheap. Maybe when other observatories (30 HY, 1 Vanderbilt) open, prices will begin to drop.

I don't know, these things tend to go up, not down.



How much where the tickets for the original WTC observation deck? I know inflation and price changes have occurred, but I'm curious how it stacks up against the $32.

I guess considering the ESB is $29, its really not that pricey for the deck.


People will pay it. There will be discount options, like those tourism packages people get for under a hundred bucks that offer access to more places than you can actually visit.


I don't even remember how much it cost to go up to the original deck. I used to keep stubs for those sorts of things, but if I have one it's stacked away somewhere.

For a comparison, here's a scan of a brochure from the original...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/149243578/original.jpg



http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/149243579/large.jpg



http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/149243580/large.jpg



http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/149243581/large.jpg



http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/149243582/large.jpg



7-FJ6p11p90



fOqFiH9YG2M


The new


jHdrnjx8O3s



Some of the competition...


http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/149243584/large.jpg



http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/149243585/large.jpg


We now need a video for 30 Hudson's deck. The deck at 1 Vanderbilt probably hasn't been designed.

[Detroit1995]

thanks for clearing that up!

[NYguy]

More views from the top...


http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/wtc-ready-open-spectacular-view-article-1.1992305


http://static2.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1992301.1414628432!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/wtcweb30n-4-web.jpg



http://static3.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1992296.1414628414!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/wtcweb30n-9-web.jpg



http://static1.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1992297.1414628419!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/wtcweb30n-8-web.jpg



http://static2.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1992298.1414628422!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/wtcweb30n-7-web.jpg



http://static2.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1992295.1414628411!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/wtcweb30n-10-web.jpg



http://static3.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1992290.1414628398!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/wtcweb30n-15-web.jpg



http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1992291.1414628401!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/article_970/wtcweb30n-14-web.jpg?enlarged

[chris08876]

Some Renderings:

http://www.rew-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/1WTC1.jpg
http://www.rew-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/1WTC2.jpg
http://www.rew-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/1WTC3.jpg
==========================
http://www.rew-online.com/2014/10/28/first-renderings-of-one-world-observatory/

[RockMont]

Wow, those are some beautiful shots! Those observation floors are going to be awesome.

[jayden]

Something I'd gladly pay. Sad part is that I never actually went on the original deck. I was in 5th grade when the towers went down. So for me, this is a completely new experience to be honest. Sad because my only memory of them was seeing them come down. First time I went into the city I was I believe in 8th grade. NYC was a late experience for me, and my only recollection of the towers was from images and videos of that day. :(

Our experiences are almost identical.

[hunser]

Our experiences are almost identical.

Younglings! I was in 7th grade. :yes: Unfortunately I never visited New York when I was a kid. So the new observation deck will certainly provide a new experience.

[BoM Trespasser]

Wonderful pics of downtown NYC and the observatory:)

[Alx99]

by @vinfarrell http://i58.tinypic.com/2ms26xc.jpg
http://instagram.com/nyonair

[N830MH]

Younglings! I was in 7th grade. :yes: Unfortunately I never visited New York when I was a kid. So the new observation deck will certainly provide a new experience.

Yes, we visited New York City for 3 times, but I actually went to JFK to visit my old manager. He usually work for Commissary Manager before, but he accept promoted work for Assistant General Manager at JFK branch. He was transferred to JFK. He used work at Delta terminal 2/3 before, but he just left recently.

Wow, those are some beautiful shots! Those observation floors are going to be awesome.

I agree as well. Can't wait to be done soon. Looking forward to it.

[CityGuy87]

Is the spire gonna be lit up for Halloween tonight?

The ESB is gonna be putting on its annual light show and it would be a real shame if 1 WTC doesn't.

[RockMont]

I was on the rooftop of the original, three times. Once in 1992, and twice in '98. The last time was the day after the Yankees won the '98 World Series, and at night-time. That was the most awesome experience, being up there until midnight. Now with the $32 dollar ticket for this new one, it is all the more reason to expect it to be something spectacular. Needless to say, no outdoor rooftop, but there should be something else, so unexpectedly spectacular, that it should blow anyone's mind. I look forward to that, and also back when tickets were a Buck or $1.50 or 2 or 3 dollars, now wasn't that when the original was brand new. Like about 1975-76? Quite a long time ago.

[tony26]

I've been following this forum for years and finally decided to join.Here's a picture I took from my first visit to NYC last summer.ta]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7486/15477600739_a399b80a88_b.jpg[/url]LowerManhattan (https://flic.kr/p/pzGKta) by tony.pall (https://www.flickr.com/people/129016060@N02/), on Flickr

[NYguy]

Videos like this always make me wish those rings were observation levels...



o3dLOzGOZbg

[JZeig1]

https://flic.kr/p/pU2VtM
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3952/15685038471_750d7869f9_s.jpg

https://flic.kr/p/oXtm1K
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7568/15067591523_8b1d52dbff_s.jpg
I assume the circular object just above the mechanical floors will be the restaurant.

https://flic.kr/p/pBVmaB
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3953/15502691797_9a3ede6533_s.jpg

[NYguy]

Caught this earlier today....


YrFH1AFqEYg

[hunser]

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3950/15508458430_ce5c7cbf85_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pCqUoj)Lower Manhattan (https://flic.kr/p/pCqUoj) by c_slavik (https://www.flickr.com/people/92058257@N05/), on Flickr

[NYguy]

BTW, for the people who are still confused - even after all this time - about what not to call, or call this tower, there is a thread for you. This isn't it. Consider this the advanced class, and you do not belong here.

[Nexis4Jersey]

from the other day

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7564/15491911410_f49856ee06_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pAY6wS)
Urban Renewal in Harrison,New Jersey (https://flic.kr/p/pAY6wS) by Nexis4Jersey09 (https://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7564/15491322428_c9dfb81002_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/pAV5s1)
World Trade Center & Jersey City Generating Facility (https://flic.kr/p/pAV5s1) by Nexis4Jersey09 (https://www.flickr.com/people/42178139@N06/), on Flickr

[Hudson11]

the lighting probably would have looked something like this if the spire were clad.

lower Manhattan One World Trade Center (https://flic.kr/p/pQTjFZ) by pmarella (https://www.flickr.com/people/98973036@N00/), on Flickr

[sparkling]

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/NY-DH270_WTC_M_20141102172233.jpg
One World Trade Center stands at the end of Fulton Street in lower Manhattan. BLOOMBERG NEWS

By KEIKO MORRIS
Nov. 2, 2014 9:06 p.m. ET


Louis Medina, a security guard at One World Trade Center, couldn’t control his emotions as he thought about Monday, the first day at work for the skyscraper’s first group of office workers, 175 employees of publishing giant Condé Nast.

“Even 10 years from now, my son will ask me or my daughter will ask me, and I will be like, ‘I was there when the building opened [and] my job was to protect the building,’ ” said Mr. Medina, before succumbing to tears. “A lot of people don’t get a chance to be a part of history even if it is a small part.”

Mr. Medina’s passion represents just one of the layers of meaning surrounding the reintroduction of daily office life on the site where more than 2,700 people lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

For many, Monday’s milestone is largely economic, evidence of the continuing reinvigoration of lower Manhattan. And for Condé Nast, the move from Times Square to One World Trade Center symbolizes a corporate pivot toward the digital future for the company that produces the New Yorker, Vogue and Vanity Fair.

And then, of course, there are the more mundane concerns.

“My biggest fears about this are getting all my crap packed in time and the certainty that the first three days in the new building I am accidentally going to take the train here [to the Bryant Park stop],” said Devin Gordon, senior articles editor at GQ, whose team is scheduled to move on Dec. 12.

But mostly he is looking forward to the move. “I am a subscriber to the environment affecting productivity and creativity, and I think we can all use a change of scenery.”

The Condé Nast employees who start work Monday at One World Trade Center, including Chief Executive Chuck Townsend, are the first of some 3,400 of the company’s workers who eventually will occupy 1.2 million square feet in the 104-story tower over the next several months.

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/NY-DH290_NYWTCJ_M_20141102174452.jpg
A view to the Statue of Liberty from the 63rd floor of One World Trade Center. CHICAGO TRIBUNE/MCT/ABACA PRESS

When it agreed in 2011 to move into the tower, Condé Nast took on the mantle as a pioneer in lower Manhattan’s revitalization, much as it did for once-scruffy Times Square when it moved there in 1999 from Madison Avenue. The move also tracks broad shifts within the company itself.

“We are moving into a full media company, offering a broad number of platforms, most of them digital platforms, and that process transforms the entire culture,” Mr. Townsend said. “Sometimes the surroundings really contribute to a change in culture.”

While the financial-services industry had dominated downtown for decades, Condé Nast’s commitment to One World Trade helped to draw an influx of different kinds of companies, said Jessica Lappin, president of the Alliance for Downtown New York, an association of local businesses and property owners. The company and its famous editorial figures are considered “taste makers and place makers,” Ms. Lappin said.

“People are buzzing, where will Anna Wintour [editor in chief of Vogue] get her hair cut,” she said. “Where will people go to get their nails done; where will they eat lunch; where will they shop for clothes?”

The development around the new building has slowly come into focus since 2001. Years of political wrangling and economic difficulties slowed the development at the former site of the Twin Towers, where a smaller tower is open and financing for another appeared secure last week.

Another milestone in the area was the May opening of the National September 11th Memorial & Museum. For many personally affected by Sept. 11, the presence of the memorial and its plaza means the new World Trade Center complex is far more than an upscale office district.

“I am happy we’ve gotten to this point, though it may have taken longer than we hoped,” said Lee Ielpi, a retired city firefighter who lost his son, also a firefighter, on Sept. 11 and who is board president of the September 11th Families’ Association. “I would hope that Condé Nast understands that this is good ground that building sits on, sacred ground. In that respect yes, we must rebuild, but we must never ever forget why we’re building it.”

The tower is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Durst Organization, a New York family-run real-estate company. The building and its security plans were designed with input from the New York Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency, said Steve Plate, director of World Trade construction for the Port Authority.

“We’re getting to the end of the journey,” said Mr. Plate. “To me it’s joyous but also a bit of sadness for all the friends [lost on Sept. 11] and the challenges we worked through these 10-plus years.”

The introduction of regular office life to the building is expected to help speed its office leasing. In May, the owners cut asking rents nearly 10% to $69 a square foot for larger tenants on the tower’s middle floors.

Since then, the building has signed about 100,000 square feet of deals with six tenants, according to Durst, which manages leasing with Cushman & Wakefield Inc. That represents about 3.3% of the tower’s office space. Overall, One World Trade Center’s office space is slightly more than 58% leased.

Prospective tenants still ask questions about the tower’s safety—but far less frequently, said Tara Stacom, executive vice chairman at Cushman, who is leading the firm’s leasing team at One World Trade Center.

“Time has moved on and New Yorkers are so resilient and forward thinking,” Ms. Stacom said. “I don’t get the questions like we used to when we first started out.”
http://online.wsj.com/articles/finally-tenants-at-one-world-trade-center-1414980407?tesla=y&ref=/new-york-main

[N830MH]

Videos like this always make me wish those rings were observation levels...



o3dLOzGOZbg

Wow! What a great view!! I like outside. It is a beautiful day. You can see a whole world. How did you guys get on the top of WTC1 without permission by security?

Caught this earlier today....


YrFH1AFqEYg

Wow! What a great shots! When the Observation decks is open for public? Can we have a invitations? Can I do photography? I would like to go on the tour opportunity for me.

[NYguy]

Wow! What a great shots! When the Observation decks is open for public? Can we have a invitations? Can I do photography? I would like to go on the tour opportunity for me.

Seriously?




http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/03/nyregion/conde-nast-moves-into-the-world-trade-center-as-lower-manhattan-is-remade.html

Condé Nast Moves Into the World Trade Center as Lower Manhattan Is Remade


http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/11/03/nyregion/03CONDE/03CONDE-master675.jpg


By CHARLES V BAGLI
NOV. 2, 2014


On Monday morning, Charles Townsend, chief executive of Condé Nast, will lead the employees, mostly executive and administrative workers, inside the tower, past the discreet silver letters spelling out Condé Nast and over to the elevators. Floor-to-ceiling windows provide spectacular views. There will be little pomp and circumstance, in part because Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is on the campaign trail and unable to attend. In a statement released on Sunday night, Mr. Cuomo said, “We remember that strength and courage will always conquer weakness and cowardice.”

A more formal ceremony marking the move may happen before the end of the year. It will be February before the company is completely relocated to Lower Manhattan.

It will occupy floors 20 through 44, a total of 1.2 million square feet.

Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue magazine who inspired the novel and film “The Devil Wears Prada,” will move to the 25th floor along with her staff, while Graydon Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair, will take the 41st floor.

Mr. Townsend and the executive suite will be housed on 42.

But Condé’s highest, and presumably most sought after floor, is going to the company’s law firm, Sabin, Bermant & Gould.

Condé Nast is not the first to move into the trade center towers. Last Monday, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey began moving into its space at 4 World Trade Center, a 72-story tower built by developer Larry Silverstein that opened last year.

[SylNYC]

Videos like this always make me wish those rings were observation levels...



o3dLOzGOZbg
Videos like this always make me wish they were shot in HD...

[Skyguy_7]

It's probably a well intentioned idea, but not thought out. For one thing, as I said earlier, if a developer wants to and can build taller, he will. But more importantly, trying to honor the Freedom Tower by not topping that 1,776 ft mark misses the main reason for that building being built. It was not simply to honor the year 1776, but to restore that same spirit that built the original complex. To build high, and higher even. Originally, there were those who thought New York would and should never build tall again. That fear mongering gave way to the "voice" of New Yorkers who demanded something tall be built to restore the skyline. That the city would not bow down to the threat of terrorism, which will always be with us anyway. And that's what we got. Trying to stunt the skyline, while maybe well intentioned, flies in the face of that. You honor the World Trade Center by building with that same spirit. Stopping the spire just a foot short is much too obvious.

...Crosspost from 217 W 57th...

+1!

Did you guys see SNL on Saturday? Skip to the 2:00 mark to see Chris Rock, who is now forever on my shit list, remark on the Freedom Tower.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8UtV2bER-U

[Guiltyspark]

https://flic.kr/p/oXtm1K
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7568/15067591523_8b1d52dbff_s.jpg
I assume the circular object just above the mechanical floors will be the restaurant.

lol, no. Not at all. The circular object above the mechanical floors will hold some ugly communications equipment. Just like the "spire" will.

[DrNest]

How much where the tickets for the original WTC observation deck? I know inflation and price changes have occurred, but I'm curious how it stacks up against the $32.

I guess considering the ESB is $29, its really not that pricey for the deck.

I still have my ticket stub from when I went up the WTC in 1994. It doesn't have a price on it, but I think it was in the ballpark of $9-$10.

[N830MH]

Seriously?

Yes, I would consider that. I would like to go on the tour opportunity for me.

[NYguy]

Yes, I would consider that. I would like to go on the tour opportunity for me.

When the observation deck opens, I'm sure you will like the view.



...Crosspost from 217 W 57th...

+1!

Did you guys see SNL on Saturday? Skip to the 2:00 mark to see Chris Rock, who is now forever on my shit list, remark on the Freedom Tower.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8UtV2bER-U

Chris Rock didn't say anything a lot of people don't think. There are people who are afraid to go inside the building. But just like his commentary on the marathon, the marathons go on, and people will continue to work in tall office buildings, even this one, which ironically is probably one of the safest on the planet. Because most people choose to get on with their lives, and not give in to fear.



http://online.wsj.com/articles/first-employees-of-rebuilt-world-trade-center-arrive-for-work-1415031316

First World Trade Center Employees Arrive
About 175 Employees of Condé Nast Arrived for Their First Day of Work in the Glistening, 104-story Tower


http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-FI583_nywtc1_M_20141103111938.jpg


By KEIKO MORRIS
Nov. 3, 2014



Remembering when the concepts for a tall tower first emerged for the site...


http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-FE355_1023wt_M_20141023165735.jpg

Models of six concept plans for the World Trade Center site in this July 16, 2002, photo, at Federal Hall in New York.
KATHY WILLENS/ASSOCIATED PRESS



Libeskind's site plan...


http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-FE356_1023wt_M_20141023165751.jpg



David Childs's revision...


http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-FE357_1023wt_M_20141023165751.jpg



Further revision...


http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-FE360_1023wt_M_20141023165751.jpg



Early construction...


http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/BN-FE363_1023wt_M_20141023165805.jpg

[Duck From NY]

Crap shot from the Palisades
http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t413/Mark_W_NYC/IMG_4262-1.jpg

Phone Pics:
http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t413/Mark_W_NYC/IMG_7046.jpg
http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t413/Mark_W_NYC/IMG_7048.jpg

[Lecom]

In honor of the tower's opening to tenants, here is my video documentation over the past four years. Quite a few of these have been posted here, especially the most recent ones, but I'm reposting them for the sake of the compilation. The older videos have definitely not been posted here in years.

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June 2010

zUbKbhyEZYY

One of the last months when the tower was still too short to be visible on the skyline.

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September 2010

vrRsLxa_Qns

As seen up close from the West Side Highway.

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March 2011

4tf6QxG7TQ0

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June 2011

81mi3g9rQZs

PoP6zA-GDF4

HiAr9ML8RuA

2Y2PcbURE1c

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September 2011

lYSNcMbfgCQ

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September 2012

yQpsEihUruI

x0yANZCsYVM

S3eYQXD6eAw

NjXmskbvPCI

LqkfS79gAsQ

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May 2014

IR__6x3F3Wg

7Qsp-NHp6J0

Pi7jb6gVanU

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June 2014

zLenY0LsFRQ

P9s5EeFbI5I

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July 2014

SODSG6RgzvE

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August 2014

kxW8M4YKOJs

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September 2014

TRk420EROk8

Sorry for potato quality, but at 30x zoom and at night, there is only so much that I can do.

3yAPVIUZ9Tw

If you scroll through the comments, you'll see that, apparently, CBS news has made a request yesterday to use the video in their broadcast. I watched a re-run of the broadcast online, and didn't catch any of it. Did it not make the cut? Did I miss the right broadcast?

[jayden]

The wait is finally over :cheers:

Any idea when we can get pics of the main lobby and some of the offices?

[sparkling]

^^^
that's the south lobby, courtesy of https://twitter.com/ryanchutchins

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B1iC2_3IcAAB4pj.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B1hwKjdIQAAlV46.jpg:large

From the 63rd floor

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B1iEWgiIYAAlXEA.jpg:large

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B1iEAtJIgAA3jKR.jpg:large

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B1iDf5yIUAATyT8.jpg:large

https://twitter.com/ryanchutchins