One World Trade Center

Before September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center was best recognized by two buildings known as the "Twin Towers". On that Tuesday morning, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were hijacked by terrorists and flown into the North and South Towers. In remembrance, a monument known as "Ground Zero" and the new ONE World Trade Center were built. Today, The ONE World Trade Center is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and the fourth tallest building in the world, at 1776 feet. ONE World Trade Center amassed a price tag over $3.9 billion before furnishing a single floor or office. The majority of the World Trade Center is office space. However, there are many reminders, tributes, statues, and monuments memorializing the tragic events of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the former complex- an event that left almost 3,000 dead.

The 104-story,1776-foot tall building named One World Trade Centers was initially developed by Silverstein Properties and taken over by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in April 2006. The tower shares a name with the northern Twin Tower of the original World Trade Center complex, which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11,2001. As a result of this event, 2,996 people died and a war on terrorism began. 

The ideas for what was to be done were very conflicted. Some people wanted a monument, and some wanted to rebuild what was previously there. So, a plan to build both was created to appease both sides. The official design for the building was released on June 28, 2005. Construction began less than a year later on April 27, 2006,just south of the original World Trade Center complex. During the building process, it was often illuminated for certain important events, such as the ten-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. It boasted the colors red, white, and blue.

There are plans to build a museum nearby to remember those lost to the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers. President Obama highlighted this remembrance by writing the following phrase on a beam that would be used in construction: "We remember, we rebuild, we come back stronger!" It is no coincidence that the height of the so called "Freedom Tower" is 1776 feet, a reminder of the the year that the Declaration of Independence was signed. 

(1) "One World Trade Center – The Skyscraper Center". Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Retrieved April 14, 2014. (2) Josh Dawsey (October 23, 2014). "One World Trade to Open Nov. 3, But Ceremony is TBD". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 23, 2014. (3) "One World Trade Center" .WTC. Retrieved Mar.08, 2013 from http://www.wtc.com/about/freedom-tower

"World Trade Center." One World Trade Center. Accessed March 09, 2017. http://www.panynj.gov/wtcprogress/index.html.