University of Mississippi eGrove Haskins and Sells Publications Deloitte Collection 1981 DH&S New York celebrates move to World Trade Center Anonymous Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/dl_hs Part of the Accounting Commons, and the Taxation Commons Recommended Citation DH&S Reports, Vol. 18, (1981 no. 1), p. 21-28 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Deloitte Collection at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Haskins and Sells Publications by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. t was with panache and a distinctive Big Apple flair that the New York Ioffice formally celebrated its relo- cation to the World Trade Center, mark- ing the event with not one, not two but three separate receptions — one for clients and other guests, the second for alumni and a third for families of DH&S people. On the other hand, seen in per- spective against the time and planning required for moving a practice office of almost eight hundred people without seriously interrupting the normal flow of professional activity, and the awesome size of the World Trade Center itself, the three receptions held last fall were cer- tainly in scale. Pat Waide, partner in charge in New York, began talks with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, owner of the World Trade Center, almost two years earlier Before moving to the WTC the office had been located at Two Broadway, near Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan Island. It had been there for some twenty years, and the decision to move was not an easy one. However, the New York office had simply outgrown its Two Broadway fa- cilities and expansion at that site was not practical. Although the trend among Big Eight firms in New York City has been to abandon the downtown financial center for office locations in the business dis- trict further north, Pat opted for the World Trade Center His reasons were outlined for those in the New York office in a memorandum issued in October 1978. They included the fact that the move to the WTC would emphasize the international scope of the New York practice and underline the firm's involvement in the expanding role of international commerce in the commer- cial life of New York City. Pat pointed out in the memo that more than 50 percent of the total service hours of the New York office involve clients with important international operations. In addition, he said, the decision reflects the firm's recognition that the downtown financial district is the principal international trade center of New York and our conviction that it will remain so. The massive scale and complexity of the World Trade Center required certain 22 adjustments, both physical and psycho- time in New York City from a weather logical, on the part of DH&S personnel. point of view. And despite the best ef- Once the announcement was made forts of Pal Waide and Alex Smith, Pat's that the move was definite, a continu- administrative assistant who supervised ous stream of news kept everyone in- the entire project, bad weather in the formed of progress. Articles about the form of extremely high winds forced a move appeared regularly in 600 halt to attempts to move furniture and Minutes, the office newsletter edited by other equipment up to the99th, 100th Joe Delaney, memos were circulated, and 101st floors, where the New York and diagrams, photos and drawings office is located, and to the 97th floor, were posted in the office. site of the Executive Office EDP and Financial Departments. It was not until Even for New Yorkers the twin towers Sunday that most of the move could be of the World Trade Center; with their completed, with almost three days' ef- multileveled complex of shops, services fort telescoped into one marathon ses- and restaurants and, at least to the uni- sion so that people could report to work nitiate, bewildering system of elevator on Monday morning at the new offices banks, can represent a challenge to the with minimum inconvenience. spirit of adventure. Each tower floor is about an acre in size, and the WTC Statistics can be intriguing — comple- boasts some nine million square feet of tion of the new offices required the in- rentable office space. stallation of 50,400 ceiling tiles, 14,000 square yards of carpeting and the use of Because of its massive size and the more than 1,500 gallons of paint. The number of people who work in or visit decor is enhanced by a broad collection the center daily, the elevators use a of art, some of which was commis- three-tier system that treats each tower sioned by the firm. For visitors to the of- as, in effect, three separate buildings fice, however, perhaps the most placed one atop the other. Elevators in fascinating moment comes when, gaz- the main lobby go only so high; those ing out a window at the superb view, wishing to journey to additional heights you suddenly realize that you have to must change elevators in what is called look down at light planes and helicop- a skylobby. ters flying past. The World Trade Center has some fifty Justifiably proud of their office, after the shops and services in the enclosed con- long months required to clean up the course, one level below the plaza, mak- small details and the major problems ing it the largest enclosed shopping mall that are a natural part of any project that in Manhattan. Additional shops and ser- large, Pat and his management group vices are located on other floors. The decided to celebrate by holding an open main plaza outside is almost five acres, house for clients and other special or about the size of four football fields, guests, alumni and DH81S families. Be- while there is enough underground cause of the large number of guests ex- parking space to accommodate 2,000 pected to attend and other related cars — and the garage invariably is filled factors, one reception for the three early in the morning every work day. The groups was not practical, and so it was center provides direct access to three decided to hold separate affairs. New York City subway lines and to the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) The first reception, held at the end of system to New Jersey, and includes, the business day on a Friday, was for among its services, twenty-two restau- clients and other guests of the firm, rants ranging from hot-dog stands to Attendees, who began arriving early, Windows on the World with its spectac- were provided with identification ular view from the top of One World badges in the lobby and taken up to the Trade Center. 78th floor skylobby. There they were es- corted by DH&S people across the corri- The move from Two Broadway to the dor to elevators that took them to the World Trade Center was scheduled for a main reception area of the New York of- hectic three-day period beginning on a fice on the 100th floor. Friday and running through Sunday in the latter part of March, always a tricky Meeting guests as they emerged from 25 the elevators were Charlie Steele, the offices of a client. Mr Rubin was one theme of the World Trade Center, the DH&S managing partner, Pat Waide, of the guests at the reception. foods of different nations were fea- several members of the firm's policy tured, Music enlivened the festivities as committee and partners from the New After the tour, which included every- guests wended their way from room to York office administrative group. Small thing from the office of the partner in room, sampling everything from roast groups of the guests were then taken charge to the recruiting, training and beef, oysters and shrimp to a wide vari- on brief tours of certain parts of the of- word-processing facilities, guests were ety of breads, cheeses and wines, and fice by DH&S staff personnel, starting escorted to the top of the World Trade raw fish and squid in the traditional from the reception area and its large Center where the office had taken over Japanese manner. painting titled Terminator. The painting, a the private dining facilities of Windows New York street scene by Allan Rubin, on the World for the evening. Guests The second event, which took place a was commissioned by Pat after he had were met with a series of dining areas, week later, was the annual party for seen another work of the young artist in where, in keeping with the international New York office alumni. This highly re- 26 garded and popular function was an indoor Sunday picnic in the lower of the even Is to view the offices and essentially similar to the first in providing concourse of the WTC. Food and drink meet with DH&S people. In simplest a tour of the facilities, followed by a were supplied for all by one of the res- terms, perhaps the success of the open reception at Windows on the World. taurants on the concourse level, and house can best be measured by the those attending were invited to tour the number of people who attended, by the The final open house, for families of offices, see where even/one worked outstanding roster of client executives DH&S people from Executive Office as and view the art collection. The party ran and alumni who came to see the new well as the New York office, departed for a full six hours.