Brookfield Place (New York City)

History

Designed by architect César Pelli, with Adamson Associates, the World Financial Center complex was built by Olympia and York from 1983 to 1988 on the Battery Park City landfill. This was reclaimed land on the Hudson river using excavated soil and rock from construction of the World Trade Center.

During the September 11 attacks, debris severely damaged the lobby and lower floors' granite cladding and glass. It has since been fully restored and significant repairs were made to the other buildings in the complex. The Winter Garden Atrium received major structural damage to its glass and steel frame, but ceremonially reopened on September 11, 2002.

After the attacks, the World Financial Center underwent a $250 million renovation and expansion project, in conjunction with the construction of a new east–west passageway linking the complex with the World Trade Center site. The project included a transit pavilion to be built as an extension of the existing Winter Garden Atrium, on the West Street side. Preliminary plans called for the demolition of the Grand Staircase, which was the main focal entry point to Winter Garden and the waterfront, as it connected to the Vesey Street pedestrian bridge adjacent to the original World Trade Center. The Grand Staircase has also been used as an amphitheater; thus, the plans for demolition had outraged residents, who promptly appealed for its preservation in the latest redevelopment plans. The transit pavilion opened in 2013, and is located at 100 West Street.

Leasable space on the lower floors of the office towers underwent conversions and expansion to accommodate new retail. One notable example is 2 Brookfield Place: a European-style marketplace and dining terrace opened in 2013. The space between 3 and 4 Brookfield Place, at 225 Vesey Street, which contained retail, expanded to accommodate in‑line retail and high-end fashion retail, according to the plans and renderings. With some restaurants and retail temporarily closed due to construction, a food truck court was in operation beginning in early 2012 on North End Avenue. Various food trucks that operate around New York City, serving a variety of foods, service the Brookfield Place/Battery Park City area five days a week during lunch hours. A new 2,000-seat food court comprising existing restaurants, such as Le District and Hudson Eats, and new restaurants, opened in stages between November 2014 and March 2015; the food area is projected to generate about $120 million of revenue annually. Le District includes the Michelin-starred restaurant L'Appart. Overall, the intent is to drive more tourism in the area with the retail and the new access to the passageway under West Street. It is also being developed as a catalyst to integrate and drive development in the adjacent largely residential Battery Park City area. An inland harbor called the North Cove Marina is also part of the complex and between all the buildings.

Brookfield Properties bought the adjacent One North End Avenue building, headquarters of the New York Mercantile Exchange, in 2013, for , and integrated it into the complex. Following expansion, the entire World Financial Center complex was renamed Brookfield Place, in conjunction with similar complexes in Toronto, Calgary, and Perth owned by Brookfield. The name change took place in 2014.

Ownership

Brookfield Place is owned by Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management, except for the space occupied by American Express, which is owned by the American Express Company. 250 Vesey Street serves as the United States headquarters for Brookfield Asset Management. Brookfield Place has its own zip code, 10281. The buildings' original developer was Olympia and York, also based in Toronto.

Notable tenants

Brookfield Place has been home to offices of various companies including Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, Oppenheimer & Co., RBC Capital Markets, Nomura Group, American Express, Institute of Culinary Education, Bank of New York Mellon, Jane Street Capital, Time Inc. 95.5 K-LOVE, 96.7 Air1, and Brookfield Asset Management. In 2014, the complex was given its current name following the completion of extensive renovations. Brookfield Place is also the home of College Board, the nonprofit managing both Advanced Placement and the SAT.

List of buildings and amenities

The Winter Garden Atrium is a 45,000 ft2 glass domed pavilion housing various plants, trees and flowers, also shopping areas, cafes (located between buildings 2 and 3), rebuilt 2002 after terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. The pavilion also exhibits a range of contemporary artists including Reyna Noriega, Julia Whitney Barnes, Tatiana Arocha, Anne Beffel, Jane Benson, Curtis Cuffie, Charles Goldman, Elke Lehmann, Pia Lindman, Brian P. McGrath, Andrea Ray, and Alex Villar.

Gallery

File:World Financial Center at Night.jpg|World Financial Center at night (2006) File:3 World Financial Center.jpg|200 Vesey Street File:World trade center new york city from hudson august 26 2000.jpg|Standing alongside the World Trade Center, as it appeared in August 2000 File:September 11 2001 just collapsed.jpg|Picture taken just after the Twin Towers collapsed as a result of the September 11th attacks in 2001 File:World Financial Center Sept. 14, 2001.jpg|Entrance of one of the World Financial Center buildings on September 14, 2001, three days after being damaged following the 9/11 attacks File:World Financial Center Winter Garden 200706.jpg|The Winter Garden Atrium, as it appeared in June 2007 File:US Navy 091102-N-2147L-001(1) Marines assigned to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force 26 fire a 21-gun salute as the amphibious transport dock ship Pre-commissioning Unit (PCU) New York (LPD 21) passes Ground Zero.jpg|As seen from on board the United States Navy amphibious transport dock ship, the USS New York (LPD-21), in November 2009 File:World Financial Center Evening.jpg|World Financial Center in the evening (2007)

References

References

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