…"American Express is still negotiating with Larry Silverstein to anchor a new 2 World Trade Center but everyone says, “it’s complicated.”
Sources familiar with the talks say Amex would take the lower floors of a tower of 2.5 million- to 3 million-square-foot tower and include many amenities for its employees. But the financial firm is still figuring out how much space it will need when it opens some five or more years from now.
Silverstein, who turned 93 (actually, 94!) on May 30, must also figure out how much square footage he needs to lease to others and at what rent, which could be $150 per foot or more versus current downtown trophy rents in the $80s.
For tax reasons, Amex might sell its current digs and buy its portion of the new tower, similar to what Related did with its Hudson Yards office companies, which created a strong financial model for lenders.
Once they get to the nitty-gritty numbers, the American Express board will have to approve the deal."
Good to see that AmEx didn’t drop out yet. Serious negotiations began 9 months ago so hopefully they’re serious on that, but then the chopped 2.2m sqf version we’ve seen raises questions.
Maybe it’s a plan B, or might have been done to make it easier to build even with AmEx as anchor, but if they’re talking about 2.5-3m sqf then the massing must be taller and thicker.
The current version is very unappealing and seems to lack most of the amenity venues present in the original version (such as the double storied lobby areas), but that new lobby is clean and practical.
Who knows what they’ll end up with.
Tremendous news. Please seal that deal, AmEx.
Covid-era maybe.
i agree
Ive said it before but the diamond design will always hold a special place in my heart. Ever since I saw the plans I’ve been in love with it. It is one of my life’s greatest disappointments that the design never will be built yet so many other boring buildings got their chance. I have hopes that fosters latest version gets built as long as its the taller version and not the shorter spire version. We’ve waited long enough
It’s way too chaotic and contemporary for the site, would work better in Hudson Yards.
There’s still a very small chance the diamond design gets chosen by AMEX, but I fear the value engineered smaller version we saw last week is the one (maybe even smaller and shrunken by the time it gets the green light)
The NYP article mentioning north of 2.5 msqf should put this small redesign to rest.
Yet, the mention of plenty of “amenities” in the lower half coincides with the new design concept.
Could always be something new out of the blue but it seems like we’re not going back.
Ten years ago
And the saga continues. I have a feeling that 2 WTC and 5 WTC will never be built.
Luckily TK2000’s post is a blast from the past, not saying something is going wrong now, but yest, we’re a decade along and still empitness and an even smaller WTC2.
Still glad it didn’t become that leaning tower with neon text. 
Still hoping for the iteration from earlier without the shrinkage.
I was never sold on the whole slouching stack-of-blocks thing, but BIG definitely got the scale right. The height and bulk gave it the kind of presence that corner of the site really needs, especially next to 1wtc.
i agree
I dont Mind That Design But I Hope 2 World Trade Center Gets Built but Silverstein needs to get it built Before he goes sleepy time in ground under dirt, whatever design he goes with it needs to be built soon, tbh (to be honest)