American Express announced plans to build a 55-story skyscraper at 2 World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, marking the completion of the last major office tower at the redeveloped World Trade Center site nearly 25 years after the September 11 attacks. The nearly 2 million-square-foot tower at 200 Greenwich Street will serve as the company’s new global headquarters, accommodating approximately 10,000 employees, and is expected to open in 2031, following a planned start to construction in spring 2026.
Designed by Foster + Partners and developed by Silverstein Properties on land owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey under a long-term ground lease.
The new headquarters at 2 World Trade Center will be designed as an all-electric building powered by renewable energy and built to meet high environmental standards, targeting LEED certification. The tower will include flexible workspaces, shared collaboration floors, employee amenities, and more than an acre of outdoor terraces and landscaped space. The company said the design reflects how its workforce operates today, with spaces intended to support in-person teamwork while allowing for hybrid work.
American Express will be the sole owner and occupant of the tower and will continue operating from its current headquarters at 200 Vesey Street until the new building is ready. The project is expected to create over 2,000 union construction jobs and approximately 3,200 total jobs, contributing around $5.9 billion to New York City’s economy and $6.3 billion statewide.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and city leaders called the announcement a boost for downtown Manhattan’s economic vitality and a testament to the area’s recovery and appeal for major employers.
Image credit: ©︎ American Express/Foster + Partners
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