7World Trade Center - the first building completed in Lower Manhattan since the collapse of the WTC Towers and a unique model of safety and efficiency - is scheduled for completion in early 2006, culminating two years of hard work by New York City Laborers.

At 52 stories tall, slightly higher than the previous 47-story structure, the new 1.7 million-square-foot building is located at the entry to the rebuilt World Trade Center.

In addition to being the first building completed, 7 WTC is raising the bar on existing commercial building codes and setting new standards. It will incorporate a range of safety enhancements that are expected to become the prototype for new high-rise construction, including the Freedom Tower and four other buildings that Silverstein Properties will construct on the site.

"The level of concrete work that went into this building is tremendous," said Local 6A Business Manager Frank Agnello, noting that the entire building is erected around a concrete core. The first seven floors are 100 percent concrete, considered revolutionary for a building of this kind.

Local 6A is one of the many NYC locals working on the project. Construction began in February 2003, and during its peak, approximately 75 Laborers were on the job. Currently, there are about 20.

"This project is exciting on so many levels," Local 731 Business Manager Joseph D'Amato said. "From an emotional perspective, being involved in the rebuilding of the area is great. This building will change the future for these types of structures. Future building in this city and other cities will, I believe, follow this model. We learned a lesson in 2001 that no one wants to repeat."

This new process, while costly, "is priceless," he said. The Mason Tenders have been involved with World Trade Center rebuild activities since the beginning. "We are pleased to see this first building almost to completion and know the hard work and effort that every man and woman on the job has put into it daily," said Mason Tenders District Council Business Manager Robert Bonanza. "You can't help but feel like you are a part of something special working on this project, and to be working on a building with expectations so much higher than anything else we've been a part of is thrilling."

Tishman Construction General Labor Foreman Frank Noviello called 7 WTC "the smoothest job I've been a part of during my 23 years in the industry. With the local unions working hard, this job has excelled on many levels, including quality, safety and timeliness. Currently on schedule, the end result will be something everyone can be proud of."

"We are one of the model jobs in the construction industry right now," said Silverstein Properties Vice President Jack Klein. "We are the one to watch. We are at every meeting, addressing building code. This building has already changed the way things are done. It is a tribute to the NYS Laborers' training and abilities that they are able to perform the project's tasks at a newly mandated level. We’ve stepped it up on many levels, and they've been right there for this exciting opportunity."