NEW YORK CITY-The World Trade Center is about to hit great new heights once again. At its April 26 meeting, the Port Authority Board approved an agreement with joint venture partner the Durst Organization to allow a new broadcast facility to be built on top of One World Trade Center, a project that is expected to generate more than $10 million annually.
Durst, which holds a $100 million minority stake in the three-million-square-foot skyscraper, will invest approximately $34 million to create the new broadcast and antenna facility, which will be operated together with its existing facility at 4 Times Square in Midtown.
Jody Durst, president of the Durst Organization, says broadcasting from the top of One World Trade Center is both an “economic and symbolic” achievement. “It’s hard to imagine a more appropriate setting of this state-of-the-art broadcast facility than the pinnacle of the world’s most iconic building,” he says, in a statement. “At the same time, the facility would serve as a source of ongoing revenue for the property.”
The height of the tower (1,776 feet) and the size of the antenna (408 feet) have also played a role in the success of the project. “The higher you are, the better reception,” Patrick Foye, executive director of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, previously told GlobeSt.com. “We’re going to have the highest building in New York City and the highest building on the East Coast and we think that’ll be a real attraction for both TV broadcasters and radio broadcasters.”
Foye stated that the Port is in discussions with networks, though no formal launch date has been set. “There’s a great deal of interest in recent activity and we think it is going to be a big money maker for One World Trade Center,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Port Authority confirms to GlobeSt.com that the tower will surpass the Empire State Building’s height of 1,250 feet on Monday, making it the tallest building in New York City. A formal topping out ceremony will be scheduled in the coming weeks.
A spokesperson for Durst did not immediately return a phone call for additional comment.
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