Silverstein Properties Breaks Ground on 2 World Trade Center, American Express' New Headquarters

• Silverstein Properties broke ground on July 9, 2026, on 2 World Trade Center at 200 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007, completing the long-awaited start of construction on the final commercial office building in the 16-acre World Trade Center campus, nearly 25 years after the September 11 attacks.
• The 55-story, nearly 2-million-square-foot tower, designed by Foster + Partners, will serve as the sole global headquarters of American Express and is expected to be completed in 2031, rising 1,226 feet above Lower Manhattan.
• The project is projected to create more than 3,200 jobs and contribute an estimated $5.9 billion to New York City's economy and $6.3 billion to the state's economy over the course of construction.

A Milestone 25 Years in the Making

Silverstein Properties officially broke ground on 2 World Trade Center on July 9, 2026, closing a chapter that has been more than two decades in the making. The ceremony marked the start of vertical construction on the last remaining commercial office building at the World Trade Center campus, a site that has undergone a remarkable transformation since the September 11, 2001 attacks left it in ruins. Lisa Silverstein, CEO of Silverstein Properties, described the moment as the capstone for the entire World Trade Center redevelopment effort, a fitting milestone for a firm that has been the site's anchor developer since before the attacks occurred. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the ground hallowed and noted that the project stands as a testament to the power of union labor and the dignity of work.

What Silverstein Properties Is Building

The building at 200 Greenwich Street will rise 55 stories and 1,226 feet, encompassing nearly 2 million square feet of space designed entirely for American Express, which will own the building structure under a long-term ground lease with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Foster + Partners, led by Founder and Executive Chairman Norman Foster, is the design architect, with AAI Architects serving as the architect of record and WSP Cantor Seinuk as structural engineer. The fully electric building's design centers on sustainability and well-being, featuring more than one acre of outdoor green space distributed across three expansive terraces and six corner gardens integrated into the tower's tiered glass and steel façade. The building is designed to accommodate up to 10,000 American Express colleagues across flexible and modern workspaces.

American Express Commits to Lower Manhattan

American Express finalized its commitment to 2 World Trade Center in February 2026, becoming the sole owner and occupant of the tower and marking what many observers described as the largest single-tenant office commitment in Manhattan in years. The company has maintained a presence in Lower Manhattan since 1986, currently headquartered at 200 Vesey Street, and will remain there until the new tower is completed. American Express CEO Stephen J. Squeri framed the move as an investment in the company's future and its colleagues, describing the new building as more than just a headquarters — a home for innovation, interaction and growth that reaffirms the company's nearly two-century connection to the Lower Manhattan community.

Key Project Details

Construction began July 9, 2026, with completion targeted for 2031. The tower will stand 55 stories and 1,226 feet tall, totaling nearly 2 million square feet, and will be the final commercial office building at the 16-acre World Trade Center campus. Developer is Silverstein Properties; design architect is Foster + Partners; architect of record is AAI Architects, P.C.; structural engineer is WSP Cantor Seinuk. American Express will own the building structure under a long-term ground lease with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The project is expected to generate more than 2,000 union construction jobs and over 3,200 total jobs, with an estimated $5.9 billion contribution to New York City's economy.