President Obama visited New York City in order to attend a couple of fundraisers but more importantly, caught up with the progress that was being made on the One World Trade Center, in its finishing stages.
In visiting the construction site, he also met with workers that are a part of almost 60 labor unions, and expressed his admiration, in saying, “We couldn’t be prouder of you guys. This is what the American spirit is all about.”
Joined by the New York Governor and Mayor as well as the New Jersey Governor, he was present on the site for a briefing about the building which is almost 104 stories high, and 1300 feet tall – making it the tallest structure in New York and the Western Hemisphere.
With this being his fourth visit to New York, he also signed on one of the final steel beams to be installed at the top of the tower, and wrote the following words along with his signature: “We remember, we rebuild, we come back stronger! Barack Obama.”
His last visit was in September 2011, to mark the 10-year anniversary of the 2001 attacks, and which not only destroyed the Twin Towers but also killed 2000 people. The new One World Trade Center will stand at 1776 feet, surpassing both the Empire State Building and Chicago’s Willis Tower, and will most likely be completed in 2013 or early 2014.
The President also attended two fundraisers in New York after visiting the site, one of which was at the resident of Sarah Jessica Parker.