On April 26, 2006, ground broke on what has become one of New York City’s — and for that matter, the world’s — most symbolic skyscrapers. Seven years later, on May 10, 2013, the building was topped off with a 408-foot spire, making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
Today, One World Trade Center gets back to work.
The first wave of Condé Nast employees moved into the $3.8 billion office tower Monday, filling five of the building’s 104 floors. The company will take floors 20 through 44, with the final round of staffers moving in by early 2015.
The publishing giant is responsible for such magazines as GQ, The New Yorker and Vanity Fair — and is the first tenant to move into One World Trade since the 9/11 attacks took place more than 13 years ago.
“One World Trade Center serves a symbol of the resilience of the people of New York,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement this morning. “Today, as we open its doors for the first time, we remember that strength and courage will always conquer weakness and cowardice, and that the American spirit, defended by proud New Yorkers, will not be defeated.”
The construction of One World Trade signaled a rebirth not just for Lower Manhattan’s commercial and retail scene, but for the Financial District as a potential 24-hour neighborhood, as well.