Finally! 15 years later, 3 WTC tops out

Silverstein Properties’ 3 World Trade Center topped out at 80 stories yesterday, nearly 15 years after the towers fell on Sept. 11.

About 1,000 workers celebrated the milestone, raising a massive construction bucket and American flag to the $2.5 billion tower’s brim, according to the Associated Press.

Media agency GroupM committed in 2013 to 515,000 square feet at 3 WTC, then signed on for another 170,000 late last year. Silverstein finally secured financing for the project in 2014 after selling $1.6 billion in tax-exempt Liberty Bonds. The building is expected to open in 2018.

Already, the 16-acre site is home to two, completed skyscrapers where the Twin Towers once stood: the 72-story 4 World Trade Center and One World Trade Center, which is 104 stories and is the city’s tallest building. Along with the two memorial pools that opened some years ago, the Oculus at the trade center’s new transportation hub – with soaring “wings” designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava – opened in March.

A fourth planned tower, 2 World Trade Center, has its foundation and was built up to street level before funding stalled because of a lack of an anchor tenant.

Larry Silverstein, who is developing 3 World Trade and 4 World Trade, said “failure was not an option.” [AP] – E.B. Solomont