60 Hudson Street

60 Hudson Street is a major telecommunications facility and an historic landmark located in Lower Manhattan, New York City, not far from the World Trade Center. The art deco brick structure was designed by Ralph Thomas Walker of Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker and opened in 1930. [ [http://www.nyc-architecture.com/SOH/SOH016.htm THE WESTERN UNION BUILDING] , NYC Architecture. Accessed October 13, 2007.] It served as the headquarters of the Western Union company until 1973.

During the of the telegraph, 60 Hudson, then known as the Western Union Building, was a premier nexus of world-wide communications. It was designated a building landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1992. [http://www.rwuea.com/Pages/60HudsonSt.htm 60 Hudson Street] , Retired Western Union Employees Association. Accessed October 13, 2007.] According to the landmark plaque in the lobby, the building originally contained, in addition to offices, 70 million feet of wire, 30 miles of conduit, classrooms (so telegraph messengers could continue their education) and a gymnasium.

Since Western Union moved its headquarters to New Jersey, the building has been converted into a carrier hotel where over 100 telecommunications companies have offices and can interchange Internet traffic through a meet-me-room and individual fiber optic lines. It is once again a premier nexus of world-wide communications. [ [http://www.ftgx.com/products-services/meet-me-room/ 60 Hudson St. Meet-Me-Room] , Fibernet. Accessed October 13, 2007.]

In 2006, a New York City panel approved the storage of nearly 2,000 gallons (7,500 liters) of diesel fuel on six floors of the building, part of some 80,000 gallons (300,000 liters) of fuel oil stored in the building. Community opposition had been raised regarding concerns that the presence of the fuel oil posed a fire hazard that could result in a catastrophic failure of the building, similar to what had happened to 7 World Trade Center, which collapsed after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. [Cave, Damien. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/18/nyregion/18tanks.html "Waiver Upheld on Location of Fuel Tanks in TriBeCa Building"] , "The New York Times", October 18, 2006. Accessed October 13, 2007.]

References

External links

* [http://www.thevpf.com Voice Peering Fabric] Voice exchange located at 60 Hudson St, processing 300 billion minutes annually.