3 World Trade Center

3 World Trade Center
Industry	Commercial real estate
Founded	January 2008; 18 years ago
Headquarters	New York City, United States
Products	Office space, retail space
Owner	Silverstein Properties (ground lease)

3 World Trade Center (3 WTC; also referred to as 175 Greenwich Street) is a skyscraper situated in Lower Manhattan, New York City, and forms a part of the reconstructed World Trade Center complex. Positioned along Greenwich Street on the eastern edge of the site, it was conceived by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and is overseen by Silverstein Properties through a ground lease agreement with the landowner, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). This 80-story tower reaches a height of , making it, as of 2025, the city's tenth tallest structure.

This is the second iteration of a building at the World Trade Center site to carry the 3 World Trade Center designation. The original building was the Marriott World Trade Center, a 22-story hotel with 825 rooms that opened in 1981 under the name Vista International Hotel and was destroyed during the September 11 attacks in 2001.

The current skyscraper was initially designed to rise to 1,240 feet (378 m). Construction began in January 2008 but halted after completion of only the lower levels due to the lack of an anchor tenant. Activity resumed in 2014 when advertising agency GroupM became the anchor tenant. The concrete core reached its full height in August 2016, followed by the completion of the surrounding steel frame in October that year. The building officially welcomed occupants on June 11, 2018.

Site

3 World Trade Center stands at 175 Greenwich Street within the rebuilt World Trade Center complex located in Manhattan’s Financial District, Lower Manhattan, New York City. The parcel is bordered by Greenwich Street to the west, Dey Street to the north, Church Street on the east side, and Cortlandt Way to the south. Adjacent structures within the WTC complex include the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, One World Trade Center, World Trade Center Transportation Hub, as well as 2 World Trade Center and 4 World Trade Center. Outside this precinct are notable buildings such as 195 Broadway, the Millennium Hilton New York Downtown, and One Liberty Plaza.

Previous buildings

Throughout much of the twentieth century, this location was home to the Cortlandt Building, which was part of the Hudson Terminal complex erected in 1907. The vicinity featured low-rise structures along Greenwich Street and formed part of Manhattan’s historically significant electronics district known as Radio Row. The Hudson Terminal was torn down in 1972 to facilitate construction of the original World Trade Center. To build these towers, PANYNJ removed several streets including sections of Cortlandt, Dey, and Greenwich Streets. The present skyscraper occupies land that was once designated as part of 5 World Trade Center. The original World Trade Center was destroyed during the events of September 11. During redevelopment efforts, Greenwich Street was reinstated, while Cortlandt Street was transformed into a pedestrian walkway to enhance access to the National September 11 Memorial.

The address 3 World Trade Center initially belonged to the Marriott World Trade Center—originally known as Vista International Hotel—a 22-story hotel offering 825 rooms near West Street and Liberty Street. Construction started in 1979, with its opening in July 1981. The hotel sustained significant damage during the 1993 World Trade Center bombing but reopened after repairs in 1994. In 1995, Host Marriott Corporation purchased it for $141.5 million. Tragically, forty individuals lost their lives at this hotel during the September 11 attacks. Although Marriott maintained a long-term lease on this site, it relinquished control in 2003 to enable construction of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

Redevelopment of the Site

In July 2001, Larry Silverstein secured a lease for the original World Trade Center from the PANYNJ. Despite the devastation caused by the September 11 attacks, his company, Silverstein Properties, continued to fulfill rent obligations. In the aftermath, architects and urban planners convened to explore reconstruction possibilities. The master plan competition held in February 2003 was won by architect Daniel Libeskind, whose design featured five towers, a memorial dedicated to 9/11, and a transportation hub. By July 2004, the blueprint incorporated a 62-story 3 World Trade Center and a 58-story 4 World Trade Center positioned at the southeast corner. Development progress was hindered by disagreements over redevelopment rights. In 2006, Silverstein Properties relinquished development rights for 1 and 5 WTC in return for Liberty Bond financing allocated to towers 2, 3, and 4 WTC.

In May 2006, British architect Richard Rogers was commissioned to design 3 World Trade Center at 175 Greenwich Street. The designs for towers 2 and 4 World Trade Center were entrusted to Norman Foster and Fumihiko Maki, respectively. The plans unveiled in September 2006 described 3 WTC as a 71-story structure featuring diagonal bracing on its facade, four spires reaching , retail space occupying , five floors dedicated to trading operations, and office space spread over 54 floors. The lower levels of 3 WTC and adjacent buildings were intended to accommodate a reconstructed Westfield World Trade Center Mall.

As part of the redevelopment effort, Cortlandt Street, which had been closed due to the original complex, was slated for reconstruction between towers 3 and 4 WTC. Initial design concepts proposed an enclosed shopping atrium linking these buildings; however, Cortlandt Street ultimately reopened as an outdoor walkway. Finalized designs for towers 2, 3, and 4 WTC were announced in September 2007. These three structures would constitute the commercial eastern segment of the new World Trade Center complex, providing a contrast to the memorial located on the western side. Construction of tower 3 WTC was scheduled to commence in January 2008. Per its agreement with PANYNJ, Silverstein Properties was obligated to complete towers 3 and 4 WTC by the close of 2011.

Early Construction and Conflicts

In 2007, PANYNJ initiated work on the East Bathtub foundation site spanning 6.7 acres for towers 3 and 4 WTC. This involved excavation down to a depth of 70 feet and installation of slurry walls. The plan was to transfer this site to Silverstein Properties by the end of that year, with contractors eligible for a $10 million bonus if completed early. However, delays postponed the handover until February 17, 2008, resulting in PANYNJ incurring a $14.4 million penalty.

In mid-2008, investment bank Merrill Lynch expressed interest in relocating its headquarters to tower 3 WTC. Consequently, PANYNJ extended the building’s completion deadline to June 2012. The agency offered Merrill Lynch a lease on the land at $510 million—representing a discount of approximately 25% from the original asking price—while Silverstein offered to sell his stake for $340 million. Despite these incentives, Merrill Lynch withdrew in July 2008 after failing to negotiate favorable lease terms amid concerns over the building’s all-glass exterior and security vulnerabilities.

By May 2009, influenced by the economic downturn caused by the Great Recession and ongoing disputes with Silverstein, PANYNJ aimed to reduce the scale of towers 2 and 3 WTC and delay construction on tower 5 WTC. Silverstein sought financial backing from PANYNJ for two towers; however, the agency agreed only to support one tower initially and proposed limiting tower 3 WTC’s height to four stories at first. Efforts at mediation led by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg did not resolve disagreements, prompting Silverstein to initiate arbitration in mid-2009 seeking $2.7 billion in damages. An arbitration panel ruled against Silverstein in January 2010 but invalidated a clause that would have required tower turnover if construction was not completed by 2014.

During arbitration proceedings, Silverstein applied for $2.6 billion in tax-exempt bonds aimed at redevelopment; New York State approved this request in December 2009 even though construction on towers 2 and 3 remained stalled. Early in 2010, Silverstein proposed focusing on building tower 3 WTC first while postponing tower 2’s development as a cost-saving measure projected to save $262 million in the short term. By March of that year, PANYNJ along with New York state and city governments agreed to provide $600 million toward tower 3 WTC once Silverstein secured tenants leasing at least . Silverstein committed to constructing at least five floors by 2013 if unable to obtain further financing or leases. New Jersey members of PANYNJ consented under conditions including funding for Bayonne Bridge reconstruction.

In November 2010, three PureCell fuel cells were installed on site supplying approximately thirty percent of tower 3 WTC’s power requirements. Meanwhile, plans for constructing the originally designed ,137-foot tower remained indefinitely postponed. UBS considered leasing space during mid-2011 but eventually declined participation. Initially intended as anchor tenants were large financial institutions; however, these firms retracted expansion plans due to changing market conditions affecting demand within the complex.

Funding agreement and key tenant

At the beginning of 2012, Silverstein Properties and the PANYNJ reached a consensus to finish only the initial seven floors of 3 WTC unless tenant commitments were secured by the end of that year. The foundation had been fully financed through insurance claims, with additional floors contingent upon meeting leasing targets. By February, construction of the lower podium had progressed to the fifth floor, aiming for completion by September 2012. In June, Owen Steel was appointed to provide structural steel components. However, by July, concrete work stalled at the eighth floor due to a shortage of tenants; major corporations such as Viacom and Citigroup opted not to relocate. The podium structure was finalized by November 2012. Should no lease agreements be reached by the close of 2013, a temporary roof was planned above the seventh floor.

Toward the end of 2012, advertising agency GroupM entered negotiations to lease space, while law firm White & Case pursued approximately . Either arrangement had the potential to unlock up to $600 million in public incentives. GroupM signed a letter of intent in mid-2013 and secured a lease by December, becoming the building's primary tenant. In January 2014, Senator Chuck Schumer obtained $340 million in federal Recovery Zone bonds to support construction funding.

In 2014, Silverstein sought refinancing from municipal and port authorities aiming for more favorable terms in exchange for increasing private capital investment. Nonetheless, the PANYNJ deferred votes on backing $1.2 billion in construction loans multiple times due to concerns over inadequate tenant commitments. Ultimately, the authority voted against loan guarantees in May 2014 but reached a financing deal with Silverstein the following month. Because of substantial unleased space, funding heavily depended on a $1.6 billion tax-exempt bond issuance—the largest unrated municipal bond offering—augmented by $600 million from insurance proceeds, $210 million from New York city and state sources, and $55 million in cash from Silverstein Properties. The municipal bonds were issued in October 2014, allowing construction to advance.

Construction recommencement

After finalizing financing arrangements, the tower crane was reinstalled, with PANYNJ and Silverstein announcing a target completion date of 2017. Notably, construction began with the concrete core prior to erecting the rest of the structure. In January 2015, fintech firm Fundrise marketed $5 million worth of municipal bonds linked to the project to private investors. Work extending above the second floor commenced in February. By June, architects eliminated planned rooftop masts, setting the building’s final height at . By August 2015, construction had reached half its intended height.

Progress encountered setbacks late in 2015 due to water infiltration at the site, which also affected the opening schedule of the adjacent Westfield World Trade Center mall. Exposure of the site to outdoor elements combined with water spraying on concrete for dust control led to seepage issues.

On May 20, 2016, the tower’s concrete core topped out at , officially achieving supertall status and surpassing neighboring 4 World Trade Center’s roof height. The core was fully completed on June 23, 2016; this milestone was commemorated with a ceremony where developer Larry Silverstein and construction workers signed a concrete bucket hoisted alongside an American flag.

During heavy winds on August 11, 2016, a crane struck a window on the twelfth floor; fortunately, no injuries were reported. The entire building reached its full height on October 6, 2016 with placement of the final steel beam. By August 2017, installation of the glass facade was finished as several retail tenants signed leases for space within the atrium area.

Opening and Early Development

GroupM, the primary tenant of 3 WTC, expanded its leased area in January 2016 and commissioned the architectural firm to revamp 15 floors to accommodate its nine affiliated companies. In April 2018, the stock exchange platform IEX secured office space, followed by the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company, which also leased space within the building. The official inauguration of the tower took place on June 11, 2018, at which time occupancy reached 38 percent.

By early 2019, Silverstein had leased additional office areas to a range of companies including fintech firm Hudson River Trading, mattress company Casper Sleep, beverage manufacturer Diageo, technology startup Asana Inc., and mortgage lender Better.com, collectively totaling . Later that year, ridesharing giant Uber acquired over of space, while law firms Kelley Drye & Warren and Cozen O'Connor also established offices there. In early 2020, private equity firm Blue Wolf Capital Partners leased space; however, by the end of the year, Uber pursued subleasing some of its premises. In 2021, Casper subleased a portion of its offices to advertising agency Index Exchange. Most recently, in August 2022, law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer secured four floors at 3 WTC.

Architecture

The design of 3 World Trade Center was led by Richard Rogers from Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, with structural engineering provided by WSP Global. The skyscraper rises to a height of , comprising 80 floors above ground. The building’s podium encompasses the lowest 17 stories and contains five retail levels spread across the basement, sub-basement, and the first three floors above street level.

Exterior

The building’s exterior is composed of double-glazed, low emissivity glass panels integrated into a curtain wall system made up of approximately 10,000 annealed glass units selected for their improved resistance to shattering. These panels extend from floor to ceiling, measuring in height on podium floors and on upper tower levels. A cable-net wall featuring panels measuring wide by tall encloses the lobby area on three sides.

On the east and west facades, K-shaped bracing formed by stainless steel-clad diagonal beams reinforces the structural frame while eliminating the need for corner columns. The stainless steel cladding serves both as weather protection and as an aesthetic complement to the glass facade. The roof is flat; earlier designs had proposed multiple spires.

Building Specifications

3 World Trade Center offers of total floor area with individual floor plates varying between per level. The construction incorporates approximately of steel and of concrete. Vertical transportation includes 44 passenger elevators alongside five service elevators—four equipped for emergency evacuation purposes. Eight passenger elevators exclusively serve the podium’s first 17 floors; meanwhile, two passenger and two service elevators operate within the retail zone. The building also contains four stairwells in the podium section and two additional staircases servicing the upper floors.

Lobby and retail

The lobby features nine access points and is adorned with Sardinian gray granite flooring alongside a towering 43-foot western wall crafted from Zimbabwe black granite. Elevator banks incorporate glass panels embedded with metallic mesh, complemented by nearby LED wall displays. The ceiling height varies between 22 and 62 feet, made from a stretched fabric illuminated by LED lighting, which was once the largest stretched ceiling worldwide.

Artworks contribute to the lobby's distinguished atmosphere, including Joystick, a 46-foot-wide mural by James Rosenquist, reinstalled in 2020, and Frank Gehry’s rotating copper sculpture titled Untitled (Fish on Fire, Greenwich Street) 2024, measuring 20 by 7 feet and installed in 2025.

Retail areas span from the ground floor up through the third floor, plus two basement levels, all integrated within the Westfield World Trade Center mall. These five retail floors are connected by two passenger elevators and four staircases. The mall provides direct access to the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, facilitating convenient transfers to the New York City Subway and PATH train systems.

Upper stories

Ceiling heights within the building vary across floors. Terraces encircle 3 World Trade Center on the 17th, 60th, and 76th levels. The terrace on floor 17, elevated , is divided into two sections: one communal for all tenants and another private space. Initially intended as a mechanical zone for financial equipment, this terrace was converted when GroupM became the primary tenant. The terraces on floors 60 and 76 rise to heights of and , respectively.

Each floor benefits from an individually controlled air-conditioning system designed to optimize energy efficiency. The building’s filtration technology eliminates 95% of airborne particulates, ozone, and volatile organic compounds. Air intake vents are situated on upper floors to draw in cleaner air found at higher elevations. The mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems were installed by Jaros, Baum & Bolles.

Critical reception

Following its completion in 2018, James Gardner of The Real Deal New York labeled 3 WTC as "the least architecturally interesting" among the four principal World Trade Center towers. He criticized its "arbitrary asymmetries," inconsistent industrial style, and fluctuating cladding designs.

References

Notes

Sources

External links

175 Greenwich Street Design Update (video)