Talkin’ tech: The Union Square Partnership will hold its annual meeting on Mon., May 7, at 5 p.m. at the W Hotel on Union Square East at 17th St., in the recently renovated Great Room. Venture capitalist Fred Wilson will be the guest speaker. He’s expected to talk about the tech industry in New York City, as well as global markets, according to Jennifer Falk, the Partnership’s executive director, but we’ll see! Light fare and cocktails will be served at the free event, which is open to the community.
Recovering and rising: On Monday, One World Trade Center became the city’s tallest tower, surpassing the Empire State Building by 21 feet, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, owner of the W.T.C. site. To set the mark, the building’s superstructure rose to 1,271 feet above street level. Once the tower is completed next year, it will be 1,776 feet to the top of its antenna, making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Ironworkers installed two, 26-foot steel interior columns atop the skyscraper Monday afternoon as Port Authority executives looked on. “Achieving the status of the region’s tallest building is an unparalleled milestone, but it is only a small part of the story,” said Bill Baroni, Port Authority deputy executive director. “This tower is about jobs, economic activity and providing a place of commerce and business. It will have unprecedented environmental, energy-efficient systems, be accessible to one of the most extensive transportation networks in the region, and be located in a growing, dynamic neighborhood.” Port Authority Chairperson David Samson noted that the achievement is one of many feats the authority has delivered in its 91-year history. “We could not have reached this milestone without the hard work and dedication of the many men and women who tirelessly work to rebuild this monumental site,” he said. “This project is much more than steel and concrete, it is a symbol of success for the nation.”
