Three Agencies Will Move Offices to One World Trade Center

As part of a long-planned effort to keep a federal presence in the New York City areas damaged in the 2001 terrorist attacks, offices from three agencies will move into the reconstructed World Trade Center, the General Services Administration announced on Tuesday.

New York offices for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Customs and Border Protection, as well as GSA’s own regional headquarters have signed GSA-negotiated 20-year leases to relocate in 2015 to floors 50-55 of One World Trade Center. Owned by the Port Authority, it is the tallest tower in the Western Hemisphere.

“We are excited to return to the World Trade Center Complex, which federal agencies have been a part of since 1973,” GSA Administrator Dan Tangherlini said in a statement. “From the day that the Port Authority started planning reconstruction, the federal government committed to remaining an important part of this building and the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan.”

GSA said the lease will help the federal government reduce its overall real estate needs in Manhattan. To prepare for the move, it will offer government-owned space at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in Manhattan to other tenants in the region, helping to reduce leased space.

Federal lawmakers from the area expressed delight with the moves. “I once again applaud GSA and the federal government for committing to the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “After 9/11, many wondered if downtown would become a ghost town, but it has flourished with new residents, stores and businesses.”

Added Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.: “1 WTC will stand as a symbol that our great city and our great nation will never be defeated by those who seek to destroy our way of life. Appropriately, 1 WTC will be one of the world’s finest and most secure new office buildings and will house important offices of the federal government.”