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U.S. NEWS Monday 11 June 2018

80-story 3 World Trade Center

to open after years of delays

By KAREN MATTHEWS (19-meter) lobby faces the
Associated Press National Sept. 11 Museum.
NEW YORK (AP) — An Wedged between the San-
80-story office building set tiago Calatrava-designed
to open this week at the transportation hub and 4
World Trade Center will be World Trade Center, also
the third completed sky- built by Silverstein, the
scraper at the site where new building consists of an
the twin towers stood. 80-story tower straddling a
Monday's ribbon-cutting 17-story "podium."
for the 1,079-foot (329-me- Zigzagging beams down
ter) 3 World Trade Cen- the east and west faces of
ter marks a major step in the tower look like an em-
the rebuilding of the site, bellishment but are actu-
stalled for years by disputes ally structural components
among government agen- that will allow for column-
cies, trade center devel- free spaces inside. "It's a
oper Larry Silverstein, insur- load-bearing system," said
ers and 9/11 victims' family Carlos Valverde, a Silver-
members who wanted the stein Properties vice presi-
entire site to be preserved dent who has supervised
for eternity as a memorial. construction of the build- In this June 8, 2018 photo, 3 World Trade Center towers above
The new $2.7 billion build- ing. visitors at the September 11 Memorial in New York. The center's
ing, designed by Pritzker The skyscraper boasts an latest skyscraper opens Monday.
Prize-winning architect annealed glass exterior Associated Press
Richard Rogers, has been with 10,000 glass panels
the fifth-tallest building in that have been cooled
New York City since con- slowly to reduce internal
struction topped out in stress, meaning the glass
2016. shouldn't break into shards
That designation seemed if it is struck.
elusive in 2009 when the Inside, office space is be-
Port Authority of New York ing readied for anchor ten-
and New Jersey, which ant 3M, an advertising firm,
owns the trade center site with exposed ceilings that
and was battling with Silver- suggest a Soho loft.
stein over costs associated There are outdoor terraces
with rebuilding, sought to on the 17th, 60th and 76th
reduce 3 World Trade to a floors including an outdoor
four-story "stump." deck that will be shared by
After arbitration in the dis- all the building's tenants.
pute between the devel- A mural of a dancer in a
oper and the property red dress adorns a wall on
owner, construction start- the otherwise bare 68th
ed in 2010 but was halted floor, which will eventually
at seven stories due to a be covered with street art-
lack of financing. ists' work.
The financial situation im- The new building is the sec-
proved in 2012, Silverstein ond Silverstein skyscraper
said. to feature graffiti artists'
"It was like somebody work. Street artists were in-
came to us and said, 'The vited to wield their spray
curtain has gone up, you cans on the 69th floor of
can now access this pool the new building's neigh-
of financing.'" bor, 4 World Trade, last
The Port Authority's current year. The artwork inspired
executive director, Rick the streaming service Spo-
Cotton, joined the agency tify to sign a lease for the
in 2017 and missed out on top floors of the building
the fights with Silverstein. including the "graffiti in the
Cotton said the opening sky" floor.
of 3 World Trade is "really a Silverstein said 40 percent
major transformative step of 3 World Trade's office
in the ongoing evolution space is leased. GroupM
of the World Trade Center will start moving in July 16,
from a construction site to Valverde said. Manage-
an active, living, breathing ment consulting firm McK-
campus of office buildings insey & Co. has leased
and a memorial." space and will move in
Three World Trade's 62-foot next year.q