Construction officially underway at 2 World Trade Center

Construction has officially begun on 2 World Trade Center, marking a major milestone for the redevelopment of the World Trade Center campus and bringing one of Lower Manhattan’s most anticipated skyscraper projects back into motion.

The 55-storey tower, designed by Foster + Partners and developed by Silverstein Properties, will become the final commercial office building on the 16-acre World Trade Center campus. Once complete, it will serve as the new global headquarters of American Express.

Work formally broke ground in July 2026, following American Express’ announcement earlier this year that it would occupy and ultimately own the building. Completion is expected in 2031.

A major investment in Lower Manhattan

At nearly two million square feet and rising to 1,226 feet, 2 World Trade Center will be one of the most significant new office developments in New York City.

The construction phase is expected to generate more than 3,200 direct and indirect construction-related jobs and contribute approximately $5.9 billion to the New York City economy. Once American Express occupies the building, the headquarters is projected to support approximately 21,250 jobs across the city and contribute around $11.4 billion to New York City’s economy, including nearly $250 million in tax revenue.

The project also represents a major long-term commitment to Lower Manhattan from American Express, which has had its headquarters in the area for decades and currently operates from 200 Vesey Street.

The new headquarters will have capacity for up to 10,000 American Express employees across 55 office floors.

Foster + Partners’ design incorporates more than an acre of outdoor space, including landscaped terraces and gardens distributed throughout the tower. The building is also planned with advanced smart-building technology and fully electric, energy-efficient systems, and will pursue LEED certification.

The design reflects a wider shift in New York’s commercial office market towards newer buildings offering better energy performance, technology, amenities and flexible working environments.

Silverstein Properties has pointed to this demand for modern office space as one of the factors driving activity across the World Trade Center campus, where existing towers have recorded high occupancy levels.

The significance of 2 World Trade Center goes beyond the scale of the tower itself.

The project will complete the commercial office component of the World Trade Center redevelopment, more than two decades after work began to rebuild the site.

Construction had previously stalled, with part of the structure remaining at the site for years. Activity began returning earlier in 2026, before the formal groundbreaking in July confirmed that the long-awaited project was moving ahead.

For Lower Manhattan, the development represents another major addition to a district that has continued to evolve as a commercial, residential and transport hub.

With billions of dollars of economic activity, thousands of construction jobs and a new supertall tower now moving towards the skyline, 2 World Trade Center is set to become one of New York City’s most closely watched construction projects over the coming years.

2 World Trade Center is expected to be completed in 2031.

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