Eight months after the World Trade Center was destroyed by terrorists, employees of American Express Co. started returning Monday to its headquarters at the World Financial Center, across the street from where the towers once stood.
American Express lost 11 employees in the Sept. 11 attacks, and its headquarters at 200 Vesey St. sustained structural damage. The company dispersed the displaced employees to seven offices in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
“Today is a defining moment in the 152-year history of American Express. Today we come home,” said chairman and chief executive officer Kenneth I. Chenault at a press conference that included New York’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, Gov. George Pataki, and other politicians and community leaders.
Amex did not disclose the price tag for repairs. About 3,500 of its employees will move back into the building in phases over the next few weeks. An additional 500 will return to Amex’s 40 Wall St. office.
The press conference doubled as an opportunity for the city to announce the Downtown NYC River to River Festival 2002, which will begin May 28 and continue for five months, with music, dance, art and theater events. American Express is the lead sponsor for the event, which was planned to help revitalize lower Manhattan.
