On July 4, 2004 New York Governor George E. Pataki, New Jersey Governor James E. McGreevey, and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg laid the cornerstone for the Freedom Tower, which will serve as the new soaring icon of the World Trade Center site. The new structure will rise 1,776 feet, honoring the year of the United States' independence, and will be the world's tallest building when completed in 2008. Broadcast antennas will bring the building's total height to more than 2,000 feet.

The cornerstone for the Freedom Tower is made from a 20-ton granite block quarried from the Barton Mines in the Adirondacks. The cornerstone measures 9 feet by 4 feet by 4 feet and is flecked with garnet, the official gem of New York State. Governor Pataki read aloud the inscription, saying: “To honor and remember those who lost their lives on September 11th, 2001 and as a tribute to the enduring spirit of freedom –July Fourth, 2004.”

New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said, “Today is a historic day for the City and the nation. As we lay this cornerstone, we remember that the liberties, which are the bedrock of our nation, can never be shaken by violence or hate. By laying this magnificent cornerstone of hope, we are sending a message to the people around the world that freedom will always prevail. The war on terror that we now fight requires courage and our freedoms will always be the source of our courage.”

The Freedom Tower is expected to rise to the sky in 2006 with initial occupancy of the building in late 2008. It will contain 2.6 million square feet of office space on 72 floors, and connect directly to the World Trade Center PATH Station and to New York City subway lines. The building will contain a roof top restaurant and an observation deck. Above the occupied floors of the skyscraper, a latticework structure will rise up to 1,500 feet.

With the east and west sides of the tower twisting as they rise, the building will have a concrete core encased in steel cable netting that will brace the building. The structure will be topped by wind-harvesting turbines designed to accommodate 20% of the building's energy needs. Construction cost is estimated at $1.5 billion.

The Freedom Tower is one part of a master plan for the WTC New York site that will eventually include a world-class memorial, an intermodal transportation hub, and diverse office, retail and cultural facilities. The master planner for the site is David Libeskind.

Source: Port Authority of New York Press Release