Rebuilt World Trade Center Becomes New York's Tallest Skyscraper | Amusing Planet Rebuilt World Trade Center Becomes New York's Tallest Skyscraper Kaushik Wednesday, May 02, 2012 2 comments Advertisement Eleven years after the shocking terrorist attack on the World Trade Center (WTC) building in New York, the U.S., reconstruction at the World Trade Center site is now well underway but not after years of delay and controversy. The new complex will include One World Trade Center formerly known as the Freedom Tower, 7 World Trade Center, three other high-rise office buildings, a museum and memorial, and a transportation hub similar in size to Grand Central Terminal. As construction continues, the rebuilt One World Trade Center has quickly become a prominent fixture in the New York City skyline, overtaking the Empire State Building to become New York's tallest skyscraper this week at 1,271 feet. The milestone is a preliminary one.

Workers are still adding floors to the Freedom Tower, and it isn’t expected to reach its full height for at least another year, at which point will be the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and the third-tallest building in the world by pinnacle height, with its spire reaching a symbolic 1,776 feet. However, its overall roof height, at 1,368 feet will still be 82 feet shorter than the roof of Chicago's 108-story Willis Tower. The building's structure is expected to top out sometime in late spring or early summer of 2012, whereupon its 408-foot radio antenna will be installed. At an estimated cost of $3.8 billion, the tower is also the most expensive single building in the world at the moment. The 104-story tall skyscraper is being constructed in the northwest corner of the 16-acre World Trade Center site, occupying the location where the original 8-story 6 World Trade Center once stood.

Steel workers Adam Cross (R) and Steven Cross maneuver a steel column into place on the 100th story at the top of One World Trade Center to make it New York City's tallest building on April 30, 2012 in New York City. Two construction workers on the 71st floor of One World Trade Center look at a view of the New York skyline, including the Empire State Building. Work continues on the core of One World Trade Center (Bottom R) on February 11, 2009 A view of the construction at former site of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan in New York, New York, USA, on 16 December 2009.

Queen Elizabeth II of England walks after laying a wreath to pay tribute to the victims of the 9/11 attacks during a visit to Ground Zero in New York on July 6, 2010 Construction of the One World Trade Center on March 11, 2011 The Freedom Tower in New York on 09 September 2011 The Freedom Tower rises above the World Trade Center site as a worker prepares the site memorial ceremonies, in New York, on 09 September 2011 A view of the bronze panels bearing the names of the victims around the perimeter of the 9/11 Memorial North Pool before the tenth anniversary ceremonies at the site of the World Trade Center September 11, 2011 One World Trade Center, the central skyscraper at Ground Zero, stands under construction on January 30, 2012 9/11: Rebuilding of Ground Zero - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com 9/11: Rebuilding of Ground Zero 9/11: Rebuilding of Ground Zero Author 9/11: Rebuilding of Ground Zero URL A+E Networks Introduction For nearly a year after the terrorist attacks of 9/1

1, workers continued to remove debris and recover bodies from the ruins of the Twin Towers at Lower Manhattan’s former World Trade Center complex.

Meanwhile, intense debate raged over how best to rebuild the World Trade Center, as well as how to memorialize the thousands of victims. Though initial plans called for the rebuild to be completed by September 2011–the 10th anniversary of the attacks–a combination of political struggles, financial problems and legal squabbles among the various parties involved led to repeated delays, and rebuild efforts are still ongoing. The 9/11 Memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2011. Google Challenges of Rebuilding After 9/11 Immediately after 9/11, a number of prominent leaders–including New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and U.S. President George W. Bush–pledged to quickly rebuild the World Trade Center site as an inspiring symbol of American resilience and triumph over terrorism. Among the parties directly involved in the enormously complex project were the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey ; real estate developer Larry Silverstein, who leased the World Trade Center from the Port Authority in July 2001; and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC), an organization established in November 2001 to manage federal aid and oversee the rebuilding efforts.

As the rebuild got underway, it eventually came to involve (by some estimates) more than a dozen government agencies and some 100 construction companies and subcontractors. Did You Know? In May 2011, the publishing giant Condé Nast signed a 25-year lease on 1 million square feet of office space in 1 World Trade Center (beginning sometime in 2014), becoming the first major corporation to make the decision to move its offices to the new building. Cleanup and recovery at Ground Zero , as the World Trade Center site became known after 9/11, continued every day around the clock for the better part of a year; an official ceremony in May 2002 marked the end of those efforts. After the LMDC invited a number of top architects to submit designs for the rebuilding of the site, the architect Daniel Libeskind was chosen as the winner. The centerpiece of Libeskind’s master plan, known as “Memory Foundations,” was the construction of a new tower at 1 World Trade Center that would reach the staggering—and symbolic—height of 1,776 feet (541 meters) including the spire at the top.

As the tallest of four new office towers at the site, the “Freedom Tower” (in the words of New York’s Governor George Pataki) would represent New York’s (and the country’s) triumph over terrorism. Memorial to the 9/11 Victims A second international competition in 2003 asked for design proposals for a national memorial to honor and remember the men, women and children killed in the terrorist attacks of 9/11 as well as the bombing of the World Trade Center on February 26, 1993. The winning design–“Reflecting Absence,” by Michael Arad and Peter Walker–was chosen out of more than 5,000 submissions from 62 countries in early 2004. After construction of the memorial began in 2006, ballooning costs led developers to scale back plans in order to cut the budget from $1 billion back to the original $500 million. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum occupies about half of the 16-acre World Trade Center site.

It contains two large waterfalls and reflecting pools, each about an acre in size, set within the footprints of the Twin Towers that fell on 9/11. On the bronze parapets surrounding the pools are inscribed the names of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terrorist attacks of 9/11 as well as those killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The memorial was dedicated on September 11, 2011, in a ceremony for the families of the victims; it opened to the public the following day. The museum is still under construction. The Freedom Tower and Other WTC Site Buildings After multiple changes to Libeskind’s original design of the Freedom Tower and prolonged disputes between the various parties involved over financing, Silverstein handed control over the building’s development to the Port Authority in 2006, and construction of the tower began in earnest after that date. In 2009, the Freedom Tower was officially renamed 1 World Trade Center, perhaps in response to concerns that the original name would make too tempting a target for future terrorist attacks.

After years of sluggish progress, the rebuild effort quickened significantly in 2010, with 1 World Trade Center reaching the halfway point of its final height (693 feet above street level) by December. The tower is expected to be completed in 2013. As for the rest of the complex, a new tower at 7 World Trade Center, rebuilt on the site of a 47-story building that was the last to collapse on 9/11, opened in 2006. The $2 billion 4 World Trade Center, located at the southeast corner of the site, houses more than 50 floors of office space and five stories of retail space; An ambitious glass and steel transit concourse, designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava has also opened, while Silverstein’s 2 and 3 World Trade Center will be completed sometime after 2015. Access hundreds of hours of historical video, commercial free, with HISTORY Vault . Start your free trial today.

Tags 14 years after 9/11, lower Manhattan is rising as WTC work nears its end FacebookEmail Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest 14 years after 9/11, lower Manhattan is rising as WTC work nears its end Fourteen Septembers after terrorists destroyed the nation’s greatest office complex, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center continues -- one office tenant, subway platform and sidewalk at a time. Post to Facebook 14 years after 9/11, lower Manhattan is rising as WTC work nears its end Fourteen Septembers after terrorists destroyed the nation’s greatest office complex, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center continues -- one office tenant, subway platform and sidewalk at a time. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 105 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs 14 years after 9/11, lower Manhattan is rising as WTC work nears its end Rick Hampson , USA TODAY Published 1:07 a.m. ET Sept.

11, 2015 | Updated 9:24 a.m. ET Sept. 11, 2015 CLOSE x Share September 11, 2015 marks the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks that took the lives of nearly 3,000 people. Today, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum serves as a way to honor and remember those who were lost. VPC A rainbow streaks across the sky over One World Trade Center in New York on Sept, 10 2015. (Photo: Andrew Gombert, epa) Fourteen Septembers after terrorists destroyed the nation’s greatest office complex and crippled its fourth-largest business district, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center and the revival of lower Manhattan continue – one office tenant, subway platform and sidewalk at a time. “This is not the end,’’ Catherine McVay Hughes, chair of the community planning board, says of the recovery.

“But it’s the beginning of the end.’’ Over the last 12 months, the troubled Trade Center building site has witnessed no major milestones, such as the dedication of the 9/11 Memorial (2011) or Museum (2013). (Photo: Todd Plitt, USA TODAY) Instead, there’s been unspectacular, incremental, sometimes almost imperceptible progress. On the day the One World Trade Center office tower finally opened for business, for example, there was no ceremony – not even a speech by a politician claiming credit. As construction fences and barriers come down, and sidewalks, streets, underground passages and bike lanes open up, the Trade Center “is finally being knit back into the fabric of lower Manhattan,’’ says Hughes, who’s lived in the district for 27 years and raised two sons there. From the first hours after the 9/11 attacks, Americans and New Yorkers were determined to rebuild quickly at Ground Zero. But the task was impossibly complicated; the rail lines, utilities and foundations were an intricate 3-D puzzle; and a host of competing interests – including relatives of 9/11 victims – fought over the outcome, often to a standstill.

But since the last anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the first office workers have moved into One WTC, which at a symbolic 1,776 feet is the Western Hemisphere’s tallest building and the world’s third tallest. The tower’s top-floors observatory and restaurants also opened to the public. And two key components of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire – News Corp. (which owns Fox News and the Wall Street Journal) and 21st Century Fox – announced plans to move from a Midtown skyscraper to anchor the fourth office tower that will rise at the Trade Center site. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. The Manhattan skyline and the twin towers of the World Trade Center are shown from Jersey City, N.J. in this March, 2000 photo. Mark Lennihan, AP A view of the lower Manhattan skyline on Feb. 21, 2001 from Brooklyn. Anthony Correia, Getty Images The twin towers of the World Trade Center rise above the New York skyline in this June 23, 1999 photo.

Ed Bailey, AP A picture taken 20 May 1986 in New York shows the Statue of Liberty and the twin towers of the World Trade Center in the background. Mario Suriani, AFP/Getty Images Fullscreen 2001: Rue Guardino stands at the railing at a waterfront observatory in Bayonne, N.J. with her daughter, Olivia Guardino, 5 and son Stephen Mayer, 11 as they view the skyline of lower Manhattan in the aftermath of the attack of the World Trade Center Eileen Blass, USA TODAY 2001: The second hijacked plane is seen moments before striking the second tower of the World Trade Center on September 11. Masatomo Kuriya via National Geographic Channel 2001: The rubble of the World Trade Center smoulders. Alex Fuchs, AFP/Getty Images 2001: A charred document sits in the soot in the area near the destroyed World Trade Center Sept.12. Stan Honda, AFP/Getty Images 2001: The first tower of the World Trade Center collapses after being hit by a hijacked commercial aircraft.

Helene Seligman, AFP/Getty Images 2001: A man stands in the rubble, and calls out asking if anyone needs help, after the collapse of the first World Trade Center on Sept. 11. Doug Kanter, AFP/Getty Images 2001: An overall of the scene at the World Trade Center as rescuers comb the wreckage. NICK MARCHI, XXX NONE 2001: Smoke lingers in the air as a new day dawns over Manhattan, one week after a terrorist attack destroyed the World Trade Center in New York City. EILEEN BLASS, XXX USAT 2002: Ground Zero as seen from the roof of the Stage Door Deli on Vesey Street in lower Manhattan. Eileen Blass, USA TODAY 2002: The Last Load ceremony marks the official end of the recovery effort. The ambulance carrying the symbolic empty stretcher and the Last Beam proceed up West Street past the site.

Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Fullscreen 2002: An all-agency honor guard, family members and dignitaries look on as the recovery truck carrying the last steel beam moves up the ramp from inside of the World Trade Center site as the recovery officially ends in New York, May 30, 2002. Lee Ferris, Poughkeepsie Journal 2002: Six months after a terrorist attack destroyed the World Trade Center twin towers in New York City, a "Tribute in Light" was lit in Manhattan. Eileen Blass, USA TODAY 2003: Family members gather on the second anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks in New York City. Todd Plitt, USA TODAY 2003: A view of the part of Ground Zero that is now home to the newly built World Trade Center Path Train Station. TODD PLITT, XXX USAT 2003: The "Tribute in Lights" soars over the NY skyline from next to ground zero on the second anniversary of 9/11.

Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY 2004: Two women embrace during ceremonies marking the third anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks at Ground Zero. Bebeto Matthews, AFP 2004: This aerial view shows Ground Zero at the World Trade Center. Kathy Willens, AP 2004: Lower Manhattan is viewed from the 13th floor of 7 World Trade Center. 7 World Trade Center, the last tower to topple on Sept. 11, 2001, is the first to be rebuilt. Pool photo by Mary Altaffer 2005: Two beams of light shine from lower Manhattan in remembrance of the World Trade Center, on the fourth anniversary of the Sept.11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City. Todd Plitt, USA TODAY 2005: The World Trade Center site on the fourth anniversary of the attack that killed 2,749 people. Mark Lennihan, AP 2006: Families lay flowers into a temporary pool at the footprint of one of the towers at Ground Zero.

Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY 2006: The Vesey Street staircase, also known as "survivors stairway" is the last recognizable above ground remnant of the Twin Towers. Todd Plitt, USA TODAY Fullscreen 2006: Late in the evening, visitors to the World Trade Center site walk around a time line display on the security perimeter five years after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. In the background is the newly constructed 7 World Trade Center and to the right is the entrance to the Path Train and city subway lines. Todd Plitt, USA TODAY 2006: The last remnants of steel support beams that once held up ceilings of the World Trade Center's underground parking garage at 6 World Trade. Todd Plitt, USA TODAY 2006: A view from the northwestern corner looking at the construction at the World Trade Center site where the concrete footings for the new Freedom Tower are being prepared. Todd Plitt, USA TODAY 2007: Family members of the victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center place flowers at a temporary reflecting pool at Ground Zero on the sixth anniversary of the attacks.

Mary Altaffer, AP 2006: Families and friends of victims of the 911attacks surround a reflecting pool to mark the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Pool, Getty Images 2007: Construction continues at the World Trade Center site ahead of the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Mark Lennihan, AP Fullscreen FILE - This Sept. 8, 2008 file photo shows the early stages of reconstruction starting at the World Trade Center site in New York. Thirteen years after 9/11 forever changed the New York skyline, officials say developments at the World Trade Center are on track and on budget. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) ORG XMIT: NYML301 Mark Lennihan, AP 2008: Cranes at left in position on the construction site for the foundation for One World Trade Center in New York on the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Mark Lennihan, AP 2009: The World Trade Center construction Sept. 11, 2009.

Mark Lennihan, AP 2009: A construction crane works above the foundations of World Trade Center Tower 4. Mark Lennihan, AP 2010: The south memorial pool under construction, with the Freedom Tower behind, under construction. Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY 2011: A New York City police officer salutes at the North Pool of the 9/11 Memorial during the singing of the National Anthem at the tenth anniversary ceremonies in N.Y. Pool photo by Justin Lane 2011: Families visit the North Memorial Pool, with One World Trade Center under construction during tenth anniversary ceremonies at the site of the World Trade Center Sept. 11, 2011. Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY 2011: 1 World Trade Center, formerly called the "Freedom Tower", and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Wm. Glasheen, The Post-Crescent 2011: Families visit the south memorial pool during tenth anniversary ceremonies at the site of the World Trade Center Sept. 11, 2011.

Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY 2011: Families visit the north memorial pool during tenth anniversary ceremonies at the site of the World Trade Center. Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY 2011: A view of a rose on the names inscribed around the north pool of the 9/11 Memorial during tenth anniversary ceremonies at the site of the World Trade Center. Pool photo by Justin Lane 2011: A woman cries while looking at the names inscribed at the north pool of the 9/11 Memorial. Pool photo by Justin Lane 2012: Tribute in Light shines as One World Trade Center, right, rises under construction on the eleventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan. Mario Tama, Getty Images 2012: Christine Gonda places a picture of firefighter George Kane in the engraving of his name at the south pool during memorial ceremonies for the eleventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan. Pool photo by Justin Lane 2012: People stand by a memorial pool during memorial ceremonies for the eleventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan.

Pool photo by Justin Lane Fullscreen 2013: Showkatara Sharif, of Chantilly, Va., stands next to the engraving of her daughter's name, Shakila Yasmin, at the edge of the North Pool at the 9/11 Memorial during memorial ceremonies for the twelfth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan. Pool photo by Justin Lane 2013: Victims' family members view names along the south reflecting pool at the 9/11 Memorial during ceremonies for the 12th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan at the World Trade Center site. Pool photo by Allan Tannenbaum 2013: One World Trade Center towers over lower Manhattan in New York City. The building was deemed the tallest building in North America, snatching the title previously held by Willis Tower in Chicago (previously titled Sears Tower). Andrew Burton, Getty Images 2014: The south memorial pool opens at the site of the World Trade Center, with the 9/11 Memorial Museum at rear right, and One World Trade Center rising above. Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY 2015: The view from the Staten Island Ferry of southern Manhattan.

Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY 2015: One World Trade Center soars above the skyline of southern Manhattan. Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Fullscreen 2015: The National September 11 Memorial and Museum, center foreground, surrounded by One World Trade Center, left, the white v-shaped transportation hub, center, and 4 World Trade Center, the tall building at right, in New York. The building under construction at center right is 3 World Trade Center. Sept. 11, 2015 will mark the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States. Mark Lennihan, AP 2015: The Tribute in Light illuminates the sky behind One World Trade Center and the lower Manhattan skyline. Mark Lennihan, AP Like this topic? You may also like these photo galleries: Replay World Trade Center - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com World Trade Center A+E Networks Introduction The iconic twin towers of downtown Manhattan’s World Trade Center were a triumph of human imagination and will.

Completed in 1973, the towers stood at 110 stories each, accommodating 50,000 workers and 200,000 daily visitors in 10 million square feet of space. They were the hub of the bustling Financial District, a top tourist attraction and a symbol of New York City’s–and America’s–steadfast devotion to progress and the future. On September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center became the target of a massive terrorist attack that took the lives of nearly 3,000 people. The disaster also radically altered the skyline of New York City, destroying the twin columns of glass and steel that over the years had come to embody the city itself. Google World Trade Center: A Dream Is Born The 1939 New York Worlds Fair included an exhibit called the World Trade Center that was dedicated to the concept of “world peace through trade.” Seven years later, one of the exhibit’s organizers, Winthrop W. Aldrich, headed a new state agency whose proposed goal was a permanent trade exposition based in New York. Market research indicated that the city would benefit more by modernizing its ports, however, and the plan was soon scrapped.

Did You Know? More than 10,000 workers were involved in building the World Trade Center complex. Aldrich’s nephew, David Rockefeller, didn’t forget the idea. The grandson of Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller , David decided to revive the World Trade Center concept as the core of a revitalized lower Manhattan. In May 1959, Rockefeller formed the Downtown-Lower Manhattan Association, which planned a $250 million complex near the Fulton Fish Market on the East River, including a single 70-story office tower and several smaller buildings. The Port Authority Signs On For the resources and power to make the project work, Rockefeller turned to the Port of New York Authority. The Port Authority had been chartered in 1921 by New York and New Jersey to build and operate all transportation terminals and facilities within a 25-mile radius of the Statue of Liberty . By 1960, after constructing the Lincoln Tunnel and the George Washington Bridge, the Port Authority was rapidly expanding its influence, with 5,000 employees and more than $1 billion in freight and transportation structures all presided over by its powerful director, Austin J. Tobin.

The Port Authority had just agreed to take over and renovate New Jersey’s Hudson and Manhattan commuter railroad, the PATH (Port Authority Trans Hudson) train, built in 1908. The PATH terminal was on the west side of Lower Manhattan, and Tobin’s team decided to move the prospective trade center location from east to west, combining the two projects. A region bounded by Vesey, Church, Liberty and West Streets–known as “Radio Row” for its many consumer electronics shops–would have to be razed for the trade center to be built. After a bitter legal battle with representatives of the Radio Row merchants, the Port Authority won the right to continue its plan. Sights Set on Record-Breaking Height By this time, the Port Authority had decided that the trade center should replace the 1,250-foot-high Empire State Building, built in 1931, as the world’s tallest building. To fulfill the Port Authority’s requirement, architect Minoru Yamasaki designed two towers of 110 stories each.

Instead of the traditional stacked glass-and-steel box construction of many New York skyscrapers, Yamasaki worked with structural engineers to come up with a revolutionary design: two hollow tubes, supported by closely spaced steel columns encased in aluminum. Floor trusses connected this exterior steel lattice to the central steel core of the building. In this way, the “skin” of the building would be strong enough that internal columns wouldn’t be necessary to hold it together. Construction began in February 1967, after the Port Authority faced down criticism about the towers’ safety and viability from many powerful figures, including real estate tycoon (and Empire State Building owner) Lawrence Wien. Wien even ran an ad in The New York Times in May 1968 predicting that a commercial airliner was likely to fly into the towers. Plans had already been made to guard against such an accident–which had happened in July 1945 with a smaller plane at the Empire State–and the towers were designed to be safe in a collision with a fully loaded 707 plane (the largest existing plane at the time). It was assumed such a plane would have to be lost in fog for such an event to occur; a terrorist attack was never envisioned.

Feats of Engineering at the World Trade Center Because the ground in lower Manhattan was largely landfill, engineers would have to dig down 70 feet to reach bedrock. Excavating machines dug a three-foot-wide trench down to the bedrock, and as dirt and rock were removed, they were replaced by slurry: a mixture of water and bentonite, a type of clay that expands when wet to plug any hole along the side of the trench. Workers then lowered a 22-ton, seven-story-high steel cage into the trench and filled it with concrete by using a long pipe. As the concrete flowed in, it displaced the bentonite slurry. By making more than 150 of these slurry trench segments, workers enclosed an area two blocks wide and four blocks long. Called the “bathtub,” it was used to seal the basements of the towers and keep water from the Hudson River out of the foundation. All in all, 1 million cubic yards of landfill had to be removed. The Port Authority used this landfill to create the $90 million worth of land that would become Battery Park City.

To piece the steel frame of the building together, engineers brought in Australian-made “kangaroo” cranes, self-powered cranes powered by diesel motors that could hoist themselves up as the building grew higher. At the end of construction, these cranes had to be disassembled and brought down by elevator. When the towers were finished, each one would have 97 passenger elevators, capable of carrying loads of up to 10,000 pounds at speeds of up to 1,600 feet per minute. In all, the towers were assembled from more than 200,000 pieces of steel manufactured around the country, 3,000 miles of electrical wiring, 425,000 cubic yards of concrete, 40,000 doors, 43,600 windows and six acres of marble. World Trade Center: A Dream Come True The last piece of steel was put in place on the north tower (One World Trade Center) on December 23, 1970; the south tower (Two World Trade Center) was topped off in July of the next year.

Construction went on until April 1973, when the five-acre outdoor plaza, dominated by a 25-foot-tall bronze sculpture by Fritz Koenig, was completed. At the official ribbon cutting ceremony on April 4, Governor Nelson Rockefeller (David’s brother) proclaimed triumphantly, “It’s not too often that we see a dream come true. Today, we have.” At 1,360 feet, the World Trade Center towers were the tallest buildings in the world for less than a year; they were soon surpassed by Chicago’s Sears Tower. Still, the towers held an incomparable mystique. They inspired incredible stunts, beginning in August 1974, when Philippe Petit walked a high wire between the two towers. In May 1977, George Willig earned himself the nickname of “the Human Fly” by hoisting himself to the top of the south tower using homemade climbing devices. The Port Authority loved these stunts because they endeared the towers to the public and made them seem like giant toys.

They worked at turning the towers into an attraction, adding the Windows on the World restaurant, which opened on the 107th floor of the north tower in April 1976 and was an immediate hit. By 1983, World Trade Center revenues had jumped to $204 million, and space was in high demand. Smaller importers-exporters were now being pushed out by rising rents, making way for major businesses. 1993 Bombing of the World Trade Center The first major test of the trade center’s structural integrity came on February 26, 1993, when a bomb with the destructive power equal to 2,200 pounds of TNT exploded in the parking garage of the second floor basement of the north tower. The blast killed six people, injured more than 1,000 others and caused an estimated $600 million in damage. Six Islamic extremists were tried and convicted in connection with the plot. The towers reopened 20 days after the bombing with new security measures in place, including restrictions to parking lot access and electronic identification badges for building tenants.

Over the next eight years, the Port Authority spent a total of $700 million on renovations, with safety upgrades like battery-powered stairway lights and a separate emergency command center in each building. Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani set up a high-tech emergency operations command center, dubbed “the Bunker,” at 7 World Trade Center, a 47-story office building adjoining the towers. The World Trade Center on September 11th In July 2001, just two months before the terrorist attacks of September 11, the Port Authority agreed to lease the twin towers to Larry Silverstein, a New York City developer. Silverstein agreed to pay the equivalent of $3.2 billion over the next 99 years. At the time, over 99 percent of the 10.4 million square feet controlled by the Port Authority was occupied. The impact of the two planes that hit the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001, was more devastating than any of the building’s designers and engineers had ever imagined.

The first plane ripped a hole in the north tower from the 94th to the 98th floors, causing massive structural damage and igniting some 3,000 of the 10,000 gallons of jet fuel the plane was carrying. The second plane hit the south tower at an even faster speed, striking the corner and gashing the building from the 84th to the 78th floors. The heroic efforts of the city’s fire and police departments and other emergency services helped 25,000 people escape from the site before the unthinkable occurred. The damage done at each point of impact forced the physical weight of the towers to be redistributed, and the undamaged part below the hole had to support the floors above. At the same time, the fires raging in both buildings weakened the steel trusses holding up each floor. With damage to a greater number of floors lower down on the building, the south tower gave way first, crumbling to the ground at 9:59 a.m., only 56 minutes after being hit. The north tower collapsed less than a half hour later, at 10:28 a.m.

Debris from the falling towers ignited fires in the remaining buildings of the trade center complex, including 7 World Trade, which burned for most of the day before collapsing at 5:20 p.m. Overwhelmed by horror, shock and grief, New Yorkers and people around the world trained their eyes on “ Ground Zero ,” where the fall of a treasured icon of American industry and ingenuity had left a gaping hole in the sky. Access hundreds of hours of historical video, commercial free, with HISTORY Vault . Start your free trial today. Tags History of the World Trade Center History of the World Trade Center 1939 World's Fair, "World trade center" pavilion is dedicated to "world peace through trade." 1959 Downtown Lower Manhattan Association is created by real estate developer David Rockefeller to revitalize lower Manhattan and begins to promote the idea of a "world trade and finance center" in New York City. January 1960 David Rockefeller presents a plan for a world trade center along the East River of Manhattan. The Port of New York Authority is commissioned to study the plan. March 1961 On March 10, Port Authority issues a favorable report on the feasibility of developing a world trade center.

February 1962 New York and New Jersey authorize the development of the World Trade Center. December 1962 World Trade Center location moves to West Side amidst protests by displaced business owners. November 1963 The Port Authority wins legal challenge to the development of the WTC. January 1964 The Port Authority unveils an architectural plan for the WTC featuring the world’s tallest buildings. March 1966 Construction begins on March 21 at the WTC site with the demolition of 78 Dey Street. August 1966 Excavation work begins for the WTC. First use of "slurry wall" method in the United States. June 1967 New York City Board of Estimates formally approves the WTC legislation. October 1970 The North Tower of the WTC exceeds the height of Empire State Building, making it the tallest building in the world. December 1970 The first tenants move into North Tower of the WTC on December 15. December 1970 The North Tower of the WTC is topped off at 1,368 feet on December 23.

July 1971 The South Tower of the WTC is topped off at 1,362 feet on July 19. September 1971 The first tenant moves into Two World Trade Center (South Tower). March 1972 The first tenant moves into Five World Trade Center (Northeast Plaza Building). April 1973 The World Trade Center is dedicated on April 4. January 1974 U.S. Customs Service moves into Six World Trade Center. August 1974 Tightrope artist Phillippe Petit performs an unauthorized walk between the Twin Towers on April 7. December 1975 Top of the World Observation Deck opens at Two World Trade Center (South Tower). April 1976 The Windows of the World Restaurant opens at the top of the North Tower on April 19. January 1977 The first tenant moves into Four World Trade Center (The Commodities Exchange Center). May 1979 The 360-foot spire atop One World Trade Center is completed. July 1981 The Vista International Hotel, the first hotel built in Lower Manhattan since 1836, opens.

May 1987 Seven World Trade Center opens. February 1993 On February 26, terrorists detonate 1,500 pounds of explosives in a van parked in the underground public parking lot of the WTC, two levels below the southern wall of the North Tower. The attack kills six people, including a pregnant woman, injures more than 1,000 people and creates a five-story crater beneath the towers, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars of damage. March 1993 The WTC reopens for business on March 19, led by tenant New York Governor Mario Cuomo and his staff. The Port Authority implements a $250 million upgrade plan focusing on life safety and security. 1994 The WTC is designated one of the "Seven Wonders of the Modern World" by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The WTC is visited by every U.S. president between the time of its opening and the time of its destruction at least once, as well as by many dignitaries and heads of state. Spring 1995 A memorial fountain is dedicated in the WTC plaza to the victims of the 1993 bombing.

December 1995 The Vista International Hotel is sold and renamed the New York Marriott World Trade Center Hotel. September 1998 On September 24, The Port Authority announces plans to seek a 99-year net lease of the complex. 2000 The WTC reaches its highest occupancy rate. July 2001 The WTC is net-leased on July 24 to private developer Silverstein Properties, Inc. for approximately $3.2 billion. A three-to-six month transition period commences. September 11, 2001 Two planes hijacked by terrorists crash into the Twin Towers, destroying the complex. One World Trade Center is struck at 8:46 a.m.; Two World Trade Center at 9:03 a.m.. To read the timeline of events of that day including two other associated terrorist hijackings, please click here . September 12, 2001 Last survivor is rescued from the WTC site at approximately on 12:30 p.m. September 14, 2001 National Day of Prayer and Remembrance; President Bush visits Ground Zero.

September 17, 2001 New York Stock Exchange reopens. September 23, 2001 Prayer for America service takes place at Yankee Stadium. October 17, 2001 Robin Relief Fund holds a concert for first responders at Madison Square Garden. October 28, 2001 An interfaith ceremony is held at the WTC site. March 11, 2002 Six-month anniversary of the September 11 attacks is marked with beams of light. May 30, 2002 The WTC recovery ends with a public Last Column Ceremony. 2002 The 9-11 Commission is created to study the events leading up to the September 11 attacks and to provide recommendations on emergency preparedness and response. The 9-11 Commission issues its report on July 22, 2004. 2005 A study by the Center for Disease Control reports that the majority of 9-11 survivors continue to suffer from psychological trauma. A May 2006 study prepared for the American Red Cross reports that the majority of people who received therapy after the attacks are still suffering.

May 2006 The newly constructed 7 World Trade Center opens on May 23, the first building to be rebuilt in Lower Manhattan after the September 11 attacks. Rebuilding the World Trade Center Site December 2001 A program to restore Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) rapid-transit rail service disrupted by the September 11 terrorist attacks is approved. Planning also is authorized for a permanent World Trade Center PATH Terminal and redevelopment of the World Trade Center site. February 2002 Work begins at Exchange Place Station in Jersey City, to repair damage and enable restoration of PATH service to the Jersey City waterfront. The Port Authority begins outlining concepts for a downtown transportation hub linking PATH, subway lines, ferry service and areas adjoining the WTC site. July 2002 Following completion of emergency activities, responsibility and control of the World Trade Center site is transferred from New York City to The Port Authority. The Port Authority begins work on the temporary World Trade Center PATH station. August 2002 New York Governor George Pataki and New Jersey Governor James McGreevey dedicate a World Trade Center site viewing fence with heroes’ names and other information panels.

The first steel column is erected at the WTC site for the temporary PATH station. November 2002 A groundbreaking ceremony is held for 7 WTC and the Con Ed substation. February 2003 The Port Authority and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) announce the selection of Memory Foundations by Studio Daniel Libeskind as the design concept for The World Trade Center site. June 2003 PATH service resumes at the Exchange Place Station in Jersey City, NJ on June 29, restoring a critical link in trans-Hudson PATH service and creating greater access to expanded ferry service to Lower Manhattan. July 2003 The LMDC begins the public environmental review process for the WTC Memorial Redevelopment Plan. The Port Authority announces the selection of Downtown Design Partnership and the internationally renowned architect Santiago Calatrava to perform preliminary engineering and architectural services for the design and construction of The World Trade Center Transportation Hub. September 2003 A refined WTC Site Master Plan is presented. October 2003 The Port Authority conducts public meetings for environmental review of The World Trade Center Transportation Hub.

November 2003 The temporary WTC PATH Station opens on November 23, ahead of schedule, reconnecting lower Manhattan and New Jersey. December 2003 Design concept for The World Trade Center site’s 1,776-foot One World Trade Center is unveiled on December 19. January 2004 Architects Michael Arad and Peter Walker present the winning design concept for The World Trade Center Memorial. Santiago Calatrava presents design concepts for The World Trade Center Transportation Hub. July 2004 Ground breaking for the One World Trade Center takes place. December 2004 Final design of the WTC Memorial and museum is unveiled. May 2005 Design is unveiled for The World Trade Center Cultural Center by Snøhetta. June 2005 A revised design for the One World Trade Center is released with unprecedented life safety and security features. July 2005 The Port Authority Board of Commissioners authorizes the $2.221 billion World Trade Center Transportation Hub project. Architect Santiago Calatrava presents his refined design.

July 2005 The Federal Transit Administration and The Port Authority announce $699 million of additional federal funding for WTC infrastructure work, and $478 million for a new World Trade Center Vehicle Security Center project. September 2005 Construction begins on the World Trade Center Transportation Hub on September 6. March 2006 Preliminary construction work begins on The World Trade Center Memorial on March 13. April 2006 The Port Authority Board of Commissioners approves the framework proposal for a new lease agreement with World Trade Center developer Larry Silverstein on April 27. Under the framework proposal, Silverstein Properties continues to build Towers 2, 3 and 4. Silverstein Properties surrenders its lease rights for the One World Trade Center and Tower 5 to The Port Authority. April 2006 Construction officially begins on the One World Trade Center on April 28. May 2006 Seven World Trade Center opens on May 23. July 2006 The Port Authority assumes responsibility for construction of the World Trade Center Memorial. August 2006 Preliminary work begins on east/west concourse for World Trade Center Transportation Hub.

Construction of The World Trade Center Memorial resumes. September 2006 The Port Authority finalizes agreements on September 21, giving The Port Authority control of construction of the One World Trade Center and Tower 5. Architectural designs for Towers 2, 3, and 4 are unveiled. June 2007 On June 21, the Board of Commissioners authorizes The Port Authority to enter into a long-term sub-net lease with JPMorgan Chase & Co. to develop Tower 5 as a 1.3 million-square-foot skyscraper at The World Trade Center site. February 2008 Tower 3 and 4 site turned over to Silverstein Properties. March 2008 PATH Temporary North Access Station opens. September 2008

Question: What was the first of the World Trade Centre buildings to be rebuilt after 9/11?
Answer: 7 World Trade Center