Yesterday One World Trade Center became New York City's tallest building, and now it continues to grow to its final height of 1,776 feet. While it may look a little small from some spots, the view from space is pretty majestic. NASA has released this image taken on March 11th from an altitude of 243 miles, taken by crewmembers of the International Space Station. TIME notes, "Most poignant—if least conspicuous—are the sawtooth shadows extending from the southwest edge of Manhattan into the Hudson. The longest tooth of them all is cast by the new World Trade tower." more ›

From 1931 to 1972, the Empire State Building was the tallest building in New York City—a title it regained after the tragedy on September 11th, 2001. While Metro is reporting today that One World Trade Center will grow to be the tallest building in New York by Monday, it already took that title back in March, as we noted while wondering if the building looked too small. There seems to be some confusion about whether they're counting the floors or the outside of the structure, but at any rate, it is or will be the tallest! Earlier this month it was just four feet below the Empire State Building's 1,250-feet, and once finished it will be 1,368 feet high. more ›

Years and years ago, a number of city and state officials gathered together to figure out what kind of building should be the centerpiece of World Trade Center redevelopment. Freedom Tower, at 1776 feet (including spire and antennae), was unveiled in December 2003, only for the Daniel Libeskind-design to be scrapped for one by Skidmore Owings & Merrill's David Childs. But that revised design remained a patriotic 1776 feet, even if officials say the building should be called "One World Trade Center." Now, it looks like the tower will be actually even more patriotic than previously thought. more ›

With the tenth anniversary just days away, World Trade Center developer Larry Silverstein has created a video that shows the progress (which has been remarkable) at the site and what the site and One World Trade Center (the former Freedom Tower) eventually will look like, courtesy of some CGI. more ›

The Port Authority and New York City are very excited that magazine publisher Condé Nast is moving to 1 World Trade Center in a 25-year lease worth $1.9 billion. But it turns out that the road to the deal was paved with obstacles...like a $1 million ventilation shaft. The Post reports, "It was said to be the source of contentious negotiations between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the publishing empire headed by the billionaire Chairman S.I. Newhouse, Jr. At one point, Newhouse and Chief Operating Officer John Bellando, who was handling the negotiations, threatened to walk away from the project." more ›

The deal between Condé Nast and the Port Authority for the publisher to take over 1 million square feet at One World Trade Center is only a few days old, but the freaking out about moving there has already begun—even though the first staffers won't be able to move in until 2014. According to the Post, "So far, the design plans are not being shared with the staff. And for good reason. 'I think it will be horribly received in many parts of the building,'" because the office space design might include... cubicles. more ›

Yesterday, Condé Nast sent a memo to its employees alerting them that it was negotiating a move from Times Square to the World Trade Center in 2014. One "insider" told the Post, "I don't think they would have sent the memo if it wasn't a done deal," and many staffers were upset enough to say things like, "It's just depressing. Everybody is pretty bummed out about it. Nobody wants to move down there," and "If I'm still here by then, just shoot me." more ›

As rumored/speculated, the NY Times reports that Condé Nast signed a tentative deal to moves its magazines to Freedom Tower One World Trade Center: "The 1,776-foot-tall skyscraper will be the tallest building in New York when it is completed in 2013. If the deal goes through, employees of Condé Nast — publisher of Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Vogue and 15 other magazines — would move in 2014 from their current home in Times Square." more ›

According to the NY Times, there's a "front-runner" for the suddenly coveted One World Trade Center. The Times says Douglas Durst is "favored" by the Port Authority Board: "Mr. Durst would invest at least $100 million in 1 World Trade Center," BUT some board members are still undecided. Apparently Durst "proposed a deal in which it would share the risks if leases are signed slowly for 1 World Trade Center, but also get a greater share of the profits if the building is successful," while the other bidder, Related Companies, "is seeking a return for its investment no matter what happens with 1 World Trade Center." An return on investment, who would have thought! more ›

Last week, it was revealed that publisher Conde Nast was mulling moving to One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower). The Observer spoke to one Conde executive who pointed out that at their current building, 4 Times Square, "We're paying below market rent here, and at some point, it goes to market. That's a huge jump. When we moved to Times Square, market rent was nothing like what it will be when our lease expires." Still, other Conde veterans are down on a move to Ground Zero, offering, "The place is a cemetery. It's creepy," and "There's not one person from editors on down who wants to move down there. Even people who could walk there don't want to move there." more ›

Last month, a number of real estate developers were vying to buy a minority stake in One World Trade Center, also known to the patriotic as Freedom Tower, because, as one stated, it "has real international significance, and it’s important for New York." Now the NY Times reports that there may be enough international significance to prompt publisher Conde Nast to move its publications there. more ›

One World Trade Center, better known to most Americans and patriots as "Freedom Tower," the 1,776 foot (including 408-foot spire) tall building rising at Ground Zero, is now a hot property. According to the NY Times, the once "scorned" building "has turned into an object of desire. Four major real estate developers are vying to buy a minority stake in the $3.1 billion project and to take over the leasing and operating of the skyscraper." The Related Companies' CEO Stephen Ross said, "The building has real international significance, and it’s important for New York." more ›

With much of the activity at Ground Zero below surface, it's only been in recent months that passers-by have seen buildings actually emerge from the World Trade Center site. On Tuesday, we went on a tour of the Port Authority's projects at the World Trade Center site, where about 1,400 constructions workers are on site daily and working on the array of projects. more ›

Yesterday, the Port Authority officially announced that it would give the public updates of World Trade Center construction progress through YouTube and Flickr accounts. The Port Authority's press release explains, "While subscribers to the Port Authority's World Trade Center web site already have access to up-to-the-minute updates, milestone reports, picture slideshows and videos, the new social networking hubs will allow even more picture and video content to be disseminated to a much broader audience. The new online initiatives support the Port Authority's mission to provide transparent, timely information about construction at the World Trade Center, and will make images and videos more accessible to constituents throughout the region and the world." more ›

Freedom Tower, the building known as One World Trade Center, was planned with a patriotic height 1,776-foot height, with the help of a spire with a broadcast antenna inside. But now the Observer reports on "signal trouble": "According to multiple people familiar with discussions, the Metropolitan Television Alliance, a consortium of local television stations, last month informed the Port Authority that it would not be proceeding with a deal for its members to broadcast from an antenna atop the 102-story tower at the World Trade Center site." The MTVA were asked, back in 2003, to pay $20 million to build the antenna and pay $10 million/year rent, but given the economy—and the facts that their signals are fine now and that there are other available, already-built antennas around town—MTVA has been rethinking things. The Port Authority, though, tells the Observer that the spire to hit 1,776-feet "continues to be part of the design." more ›