Westfield World Trade Center

Shopping mall in New York City

Westfield World Trade Center
The portion of the mall inside the Oculus

Coordinates	40°42′41″N 74°00′43″W / 40.71139°N 74.01194°W / 40.71139; -74.01194
Address	185 Greenwich Street, Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Opening date	August 16, 2016; 8 years ago (August 16, 2016)
Management	Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
Owner	Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Architect	Santiago Calatrava
No. of stores and services	116
Total retail floor area	365,000 square feet (33,900 m)
No. of floors	2
Public transit access	New York City Subway: at WTC Cortlandt at World Trade Center at Cortlandt Street PATH: NWK-WTC HOB-WTC at World Trade Center New York City Bus: M55
Website	www.westfield.com/westfieldworldtradecenter officialworldtradecenter.com/shopping

World Trade Center
Towers
One 3 4 7 Planned: 2 5
Other elements
Liberty Park National September 11 Memorial & Museum PATH Station Performing Arts Center Oculus St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Vehicular Security Center
Artwork
America's Response Monument ONE: Union of the Senses The Sphere
History
One WTC construction Original complex 7 WTC WTC site Austin J. Tobin Plaza
v t e

Westfield World Trade Center is a shopping mall at the World Trade Center complex in Manhattan, New York, which is operated and managed by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. The mall opened on August 16, 2016, as the largest shopping complex in Manhattan, with 125 retail spaces. It replaced The Mall at the World Trade Center, the underground shopping mall under the original World Trade Center, which was destroyed on September 11, 2001.

Original mall (1975–2001)

The Mall at the World Trade Center
View of the main entrance to The Mall at the World Trade Center (WTC 4) from Liberty Street in 2001
Opening date	1975; 49 years ago (1975)
Closing date	September 11, 2001; 23 years ago (2001-09-11)
Owner	Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
No. of stores and services	~80
No. of floors	2 (Plaza and Concourse level)
Website	panynj.gov/wtcmall panynj.gov/wtc/wtcsfram.HTM

The Mall at the World Trade Center was an indoor underground shopping mall that was located in the concourse area of the original World Trade Center complex which was destroyed on September 11, 2001.

Most of the mall was located underneath 4 and 5 World Trade Center, as well as under the Austin J. Tobin Plaza. Completed in 1975, it was the largest shopping mall in New York City, and was managed by the Westfield Group. The main entrance was located on the south side of 4 World Trade Center facing Liberty Street with escalators going down into the concourse. The other entrance was located on the east side of 5 World Trade Center facing Church Street. The mall was also accessible from the lobbies of the Twin Towers, and it served as the point of access or transfer to the Chambers Street–World Trade Center subway station on the A, C, and E trains. PATH trains intersected in the basement levels, which were located under the mall.

The mall included eateries as well as approximately 80 stores, including Borders, Banana Republic, Coach, The Children's Place, Tourneau, J. Crew, Cole Haan, Sephora, Duane Reade, Gap, Sam Goody, Victoria's Secret and the Warner Bros. Studio Store. Thousands of people traveled through the mall daily.

On April 26, 2001 the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey agreed to lease the mall to the Westfield Group on a 99 year agreement. On July 24, 2001 the deal was accepted. After the purchase, Westfield was planning a massive renovation and expansion of the mall, and was going to rename it Westfield Shoppingtown World Trade Center in 2002.

September 11 attacks

A commonly reported story of eyewitnesses inside the mall at 8:46 a.m. EDT, when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower, is of fireballs being fed by flaming jet fuel shooting down the elevator shafts and bursting out of the elevators inside the lobby, with many of the fireballs reaching as far as the mall itself.

As stated in the 9/11 Commission Report:

The Port Authority's on-site commanding police officer was standing in the concourse when a fireball exploded out of the North Tower lobby, causing him to dive for cover.

Survivor Allison Summers described the conditions in the mall right after the terrorist attack:

I had almost reached the [Cortlandt Street] Uptown 1 and 9 station when there was an enormous explosion. The building shook. I heard people say, 'Oh, no.' Some, not many, were screaming. ... I looked ahead past Banana Republic, past Citibank to the plaza outside. At that moment, there was a terrifying tidal wave of smoke filling the doorway. It began to shoot forward. The smoke had this enormous momentum that started to come towards us, as if it had a will of its own. We ran. We ran together past the Coach store. We ran to get out of the path of this enormous wave of smoke. It was like we were being chased. All the people on the concourse ran. We turned right, heading toward the PATH trains. As we ran, shop assistants were calling in doorways, 'What happened? What happened?' But we were running so fast we couldn't answer them and they ran with us. Some people were crying; some people were screaming. We moved as one body. No one pushed and no one shoved. We all had the same intention: to get out of the building.

Shortly after the first impact, water began spraying into the mall from broken pipes or activated sprinkler systems. As Erik Ronningen describes:

I drag my body down through the decimated main lobby , through a waterfall from the Mall ceiling, and wade the darkened Mall corridor through 75 yards of ankle-deep water to Tower Two."

The mall itself played an important role during the attacks because the people who were evacuating the Twin Towers could not exit outside onto the plaza because of falling debris, so they traveled through the mall, and exited through either 4 or 5 World Trade Center.

The mall was heavily damaged by the collapse of the two towers and was ultimately demolished following the September 11 attacks.

Current mall (2016–present)

Exterior (top) and interior (bottom) of the Oculus building at Westfield World Trade Center

The Oculus has roughly 365,000 square feet (33,900 m) of retail space. Although the new mall is only spread over roughly one-half of the original mall's footprint (due to the new space required for the below-ground National September 11 Memorial & Museum), the mall is double-level, whereas the original mall was a single level. 3 and 4 World Trade Center currently house three and four aboveground levels, respectively. 2 World Trade Center is planned to contain three additional levels. The World Trade Center station's head house, the Oculus, also houses a large amount of retail space.

According to developer Larry Silverstein, whose firm Silverstein Properties was replaced by Westfield Corporation as the developer:

The design we have developed with the Port Authority calls for not only rebuilding the retail space that was lost on 9/11, but going above and beyond what was there before. We want to create a real destination for visitors and shoppers, a center that will share many of the attributes of the city's great retail hubs.

Construction on the One World Trade Center portion of the mall began in 2007. In February 2012, Westfield Corporation entered an agreement with the Port Authority, which owns the rest of the World Trade Center site, to jointly own and manage the mall. At the same time, Westfield began marketing space in the mall and opened a leasing office in 7 World Trade Center. In December 2013, the Port Authority sold its remaining stake in the retail development to Westfield. This also brings retail at the World Trade Center to Westfield's complete control. The mall was 80% leased as of June 2014. The mall's 125 retail spaces were fully leased by October 2015.

The mall opened on August 16, 2016, with a concert headlined by John Legend and Leslie Odom Jr., the opening of a food court and stores such as Pandora and Apple. In total, there were about 60 stores in the mall when it opened. By 2017, there were 82 stores within the mall, although much of the mall's space had not been leased. Some tenants were also moving out, and the Port Authority was also rebuilding nine storefronts in front of the PATH station's entrance. These nine storefronts, which were considered prime retail space, were not available because that location had been the site of the former entrance to the temporary PATH station.

References

Weaver, Shaye. "Westfield World Trade Center Oculus | Shopping in Financial District, New York". Time Out New York. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
"PANYNJ WTCMall". April 21, 2001. Archived from the original on April 21, 2001. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
"PORT AUTHORITY TO LEASE WORLD TRADE CENTER TO SILVERSTEIN PROPERTIES, INC. AND WESTFIELD AMERICA, INC". panynj.gov. New York City: Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. April 26, 2001. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
Bagli, Charles V. (April 27, 2001). "Deal Is Signed To Take Over Trade Center". The New York Times. New York City. p. 1. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
"Governor Pataki, Acting Governor Difrancesco Laud Historic Port Authority Agreement To Privatize World Trade Center" (Press release). Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. July 24, 2001. Archived from the original on September 4, 2001.
"Staff Statement: Emergency Preparedness and Response" (PDF). 9-11 Commission.
"New York Metro - World Trade Center Attack". New York. September 11, 2002. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
"Be well. Practice big medicine". Bigmedicine.ca. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
^ "Retail || About the WTC || World Trade Center ||". Wtc.com. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
Coleman, Steve. "WORLD-CLASS RETAIL COMING TO WORLD TRADE CENTER UNDER JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN PORT AUTHORITY & WESTFIELD GROUP". Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
"PORT AUTHORITY SELLS REMAINING INTEREST IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER RETAIL PROJECT TO THE WESTFIELD GROUP". Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Archived from the original on August 30, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
Keiko Morris (June 8, 2014). "Westfield's Underground Mall at World Trade Center Draws Marquee Retailers". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
Gurfein, Laura (October 27, 2015). "Here are 98 of the 125 World Trade Center Stores Opening in 2016 (Updated)". Racked NY. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
"Update: Who's Onboard at the World Trade Center Mall". Tribeca Citizen. October 20, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
Rogers, Katie (August 17, 2016). "John Legend Performs at Westfield World Trade Center Opening". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
^ Kirby, Jen (August 16, 2016). "Here's a Look at the World Trade Center Mall That's Reopening Today". Daily Intelligencer. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
Diez, Patty (August 17, 2016). "Westfield World Trade Center Mall Now Open With New Dining Options". Eater NY. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
"PANDORA Jewelry Opens New Store at Westfield World Trade Center". Yahoo! Finance. August 18, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
Morris, Keiko (August 5, 2017). "World Trade Center Retail Space Tries to Find Its Footing". WSJ. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
"Why a prime stretch of Westfield's WTC mall will be empty for another year". The Real Deal New York. August 7, 2017. Retrieved September 16, 2018.

External links

World Trade Center

First WTC
(1973–2001)

Art	1993 World Trade Center Bombing Memorial Bent Propeller Ideogram Sky Gate, New York The Sphere The World Trade Center Tapestry World Trade Center Plaza Sculpture
Major events	February 26, 1993 bombing January 14, 1998 robbery September 11, 2001 attacks Collapse Timeline Victims Aftermath Rescue and recovery effort NIST report on collapse Deutsche Bank Building St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church

Second WTC
(2001–present)

Site, towers, and structures	One Construction Tenants 2 3 4 5 7 Perelman Performing Arts Center Vehicular Security Center Liberty Park St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Westfield Mall Artwork ONE: Union of the Senses The Sphere
Rapid transit	PATH stations Transportation Hub New York City Subway stations Chambers Street–WTC/Park Place/Cortlandt Street (2, 3, A, C, E, N, R, and W trains) WTC Cortlandt (1 train) Fulton Street (2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J, and Z trains) Fulton Center Corbin Building Dey Street Passageway
9/11 memorials	9/11 Tribute Museum National September 11 Memorial & Museum Competition Memory Foundations Tribute in Light America's Response Monument Empty Sky To the Struggle Against World Terrorism Postcards memorial The Rising memorial Relics from the original WTC The Sphere Cross Survivors' Staircase

People

Other

Brookfield Place

Other nearby structures

Shopping malls in the New York metropolitan area

New York

New York City	Atlantic Terminal Bay Plaza Shopping Center The Boulevard Bronx Terminal Market Brookfield Place East River Plaza Empire Outlets Empire Stores Gateway Center Kings Plaza Manhattan Mall New World Mall Queens Center Mall Queens Place Rego Center The Shops at Atlas Park The Shops at Columbus Circle The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards Staten Island Mall South Street Seaport Westfield World Trade Center
Long Island	Americana Manhasset Broadway Commons Green Acres Mall Lake Success Shopping Center Mall at The Source Roosevelt Field Smith Haven Mall South Shore Mall Sunrise Mall Sun Vet Mall Tanger Outlets at the Arches Tanger Outlets Riverhead Walt Whitman Shops Wheatley Plaza
Hudson Valley	City Center at White Plains Cross County Shopping Center Galleria at Crystal Run The Galleria at White Plains Jefferson Valley Mall Hudson Valley Mall Newburgh Mall Palisades Center Poughkeepsie Galleria The Shops at Nanuet The Source at White Plains The Westchester South Hills Mall Westchester's Ridge Hill Woodbury Common Premium Outlets

New Jersey

Connecticut

Pennsylvania

Stroud Mall

Italic text indicates unbuilt and defunct malls

Westfield Shopping Centers in the United States

California

Northern California	Galleria at Roseville Oakridge Valley Fair
Southern California	Century City Culver City Fashion Square Plaza Bonita Topanga UTC

Illinois

Old Orchard

Maryland

New Jersey

Garden State Plaza

New York

World Trade Center ‡
- Fulton Center ‡

Washington

Southcenter Mall

‡ Managed with no ownership interest. World Trade Center space is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the Fulton Center space is owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Financial District

Manhattan, New York City

Buildings

West of Broadway/ State Street	1 Broadway 21 West Street 65 Broadway 90 West Street 88 Greenwich Street 94 Greenwich Street 125 Greenwich Street 130 Cedar Street 195 Broadway American Stock Exchange Building Barclay–Vesey Building Bowling Green Offices Building Castle Clinton City Pier A Cunard Building Downtown Athletic Club Empire Building Firehouse, Engine Company 10 and Ladder Company 10 James Watson House New York County Lawyers' Association Building Old New York Evening Post Building Robert and Anne Dickey House St. George's Syrian Catholic Church St. Paul's Chapel St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church Transportation Building Trinity and United States Realty Buildings Trinity Church Trinity Court Building Whitehall Building World Trade Center One 2 3 4 7 Perelman Performing Arts Center St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Vehicular Security Center Westfield Mall
East of Broadway/ State Street	1 Hanover Square 1 New York Plaza 1 Wall Street 1 Wall Street Court 1 William Street 2 Broadway 2 New York Plaza 5 Beekman Street 14 Wall Street 15 Broad Street 15 William 17 State Street 19 Dutch 20 Exchange Place 23 Wall Street 25 Water Street 26 Broadway 28 Liberty Street 32 Old Slip 37 Wall Street 40 Wall Street 45 Broad Street 48 Wall Street 52 Broadway 55 Broad Street 55 Wall Street 55 Water Street 56 Beaver Street (Delmonico's) 56 Pine Street 60 Wall Street 63 Wall Street 63 Nassau Street 70 Pine Street 75 Wall Street 90–94 Maiden Lane 116 John Street 120 Wall Street 130 William 140 Broadway 150 Nassau Street 161 Maiden Lane 161 Water Street 170–176 John Street 250 Water Street Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House American Bank Note Company Building American Surety Building Bennett Building Broad Exchange Building Chamber of Commerce Building Continental Bank Building Continental Center Corbin Building Down Town Association Equitable Building Excelsior Power Company Building Federal Hall National Memorial Federal Reserve Bank of New York Building Fraunces Tavern Home Insurance Plaza John Street Methodist Church Keuffel & Esser Company Building Lee, Higginson & Company Bank Building Liberty Tower Morse Building New York City Police Museum New York Stock Exchange Building New York Times Building Park Row Building Potter Building
Former buildings	Alexander Macomb House Astor House Barnum's American Museum Blair Building City Hotel City Investing Building Equitable Life Building Gillender Building Gilsey Building Government House Hanover National Building Howard Hotel Kemble Building Knickerbocker Trust Company Building Manhattan Life Insurance Building Mills Building Mortimer Building New York Produce Exchange New York Tribune Building New York World Building Pearl Street Station St. Paul Building Singer Building Stadt Huys Tontine Coffee House Tower Building Western Union Telegraph Building World Trade Center 3 4 5 6 7

Other points of interest

Arts and culture	Charging Bull China Chalet Fearless Girl Four Continents The Sphere Titanic Memorial
Parks and plazas	Austin J. Tobin Plaza‎‎ (former) The Battery Bowling Green Elizabeth H. Berger Plaza Hudson River Park Imagination Playground Liberty Park Louise Nevelson Plaza Queen Elizabeth II September 11th Garden Vietnam Veterans Plaza Zuccotti Park
Food and drink	Brasserie Les Halles China Chalet Crown Shy Delmonico's Fraunces Tavern Rolfe's Chop House Saga The Dead Rabbit

Education

Schools	High School of Economics and Finance Leadership and Public Service High School Léman Manhattan Preparatory School Millennium High School New York Film Academy Pace University Pine Street School New York
Museums	China Institute Federal Hall National Memorial Fraunces Tavern George Gustav Heye Center Mmuseumm Museum of American Finance Museum of Jewish Heritage New York City Police Museum Skyscraper Museum South Street Seaport

Transportation

Public transport	Subway Bowling Green Broad Street Fulton Street Rector St/Greenwich St Rector St/Trinity Pl South Ferry/Whitehall St Wall St/William St Wall St/Broadway WTC Cortlandt PATH World Trade Center Ferries Pier 11/Wall Street South Ferry Battery Maritime Building Whitehall Terminal
Other transport	Downtown Manhattan Heliport Wall Street Skyport
Streets	Albany Beaver Bridge Broad Broadway Church/Trinity Place Cortlandt Dey Exchange Fulton Greenwich John Liberty Maiden Lane Marketfield Nassau Pearl South Spruce State Stone Theatre Alley Vesey/Ann Wall Washington West Whitehall William

See also: Manhattan Community Board 1

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