The skyscraper is still under construction at the Ground Zero site but is due to be completed in 2013. When finished, 1 WTC will be exactly 1,776 feet tall, a height intended to recall America’s Declaration of Independence in 1776.
When finished, the building will be the tallest in the US. Conde Nast is understood to have been in talks for approximately the last year about leasing one million square feet in the building.
The leasing deal will see the publishing house pay approximately $2 billion over 25 years. The Port Authority will take a vote on whether to approve the deal on May 26th.
Conde Nast Chief Financial Officer John Bellando said: “We are close to concluding lease negotiations, and are hopeful that a move to 1 World Trade Center will be a catalyst for transforming downtown.”
Currently, Condé Nast, which publishes The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, is headquartered in Midtown at 4 Times Square Tower.
See examples of Offices for Rent in Midtown Manhattan
It has been reported that on the move to 1 WTC, Conde Nast will switch to an open-plan office environment, giving up the partitioned sections and private offices that the publishing house now uses.
Many such private offices are said to have their own personal showers and bathrooms.
One anonymous employee of the publishing house told the New York Post that office space is an important issue at Condé Nast and is seen as a reflection of one’s status in the company.
“I think it will be horribly received in many parts of the building,” the sources said of the new office plan.
Editor’s notes: Condé Nast went on to complete the office leasing deal at 1 WTC, taking over 1 million square feet within the iconic property.
Other tenants include Vantone, New York City Authorities, and flex-space providers Durst Ready – a brand owned by the landlord – and Servcorp.
Both providers offer a range of turnkey private offices, desk spaces in coworking offices, business lounges, and hireable meeting rooms.
Research conducted in September 2026 revealed that Condé Nast had been attempting to reduce its rental liabilities at 1 WTC for several years.
Before the pandemic, the company had already begun reducing its space, subleasing 150,000 square feet to other businesses.
In May 2024, it was reported that financial services firm Kroll signed a 10-year sublease for 48,026 square feet across the entire 31st floor of the 104-story tower.
In September 2025, it was reported that Bank of New York was subleasing 192,000 square feet of space for four years while it was renovating its headquarters at 240 Greenwich Avenue.
At the time of the deal, it was revealed that more than 230,000 square feet had been claimed by subtenants since 2019, prior to the latest agreement with Bank of New York.