Conde Nast Begins Move into 1 World Trade Center

by Harry Sheff

Conde Nast, publisher of 18 magazines, including GQ, Details and Vogue, has begun moving from its Times Square, Manhattan headquarters to its new home in 1 World Trade Center. The publisher’s offices will take up floors 20 through 44 (a total of 1.2 million sq. ft.—a third of the building’s leased space) and the full move will take until February.

Conde Nast CEO Charles Townsend, via Instagram
Conde Nast CEO Charles Townsend, via Instagram
Charles Townsend, CEO of Conde Nast, appeared this morning for the cameras but an official ceremony celebrating the move is apparently happening before the end of the year.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo released a statement from the campaign trail: “One World Trade Center serves as a symbol of the resilience of the people of New York. Today, as we open its doors for the first time, we remember that strength and courage will always conquer weakness and cowardice, and that the American spirit, defended by proud New Yorkers, will not be defeated. That lesson and that example live on today as powerful as they were 13 years ago. This is a tremendous day for all New Yorkers, proving once again that the spirit of resurgence and community lives on stronger than ever before.”

1 World Trade Center in June 2014. Photo by Michael Mahesh, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Photo by Michael Mahesh, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

The 104-story building is now 58 percent leased, according to the New York Times. Sensitive to public perception, commercial real estate broker Cushman & Wakefield released a comparison of similar new buildings in New York, showing that others opened with an average of 36.8 percent leased—half that of 1 World Trade Center.

“One World Trade Center is one of the few modern Manhattan spec buildings to have approached 60 percent leasing prior to opening, a testament to the power of its design, construction, and globally recognized address,” said Tara Stacom of Cushman & Wakefield.