Archived News -- February 2002

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February 27, 2002

On February 27, 2002, the New York Daily News reported that a temporary memorial was established at the WTC site. It consisted of two beams of light which shone nightly from March 11 through April 13, 2002.

ARCHIVED: New York Daily News: 'Tribute of Light' For WTC Victims


February 24, 2002

On February 24, 2002, The New York Post ran three letters to the editor in support of rebuilding the Twin Towers. The first run of these letters was written by Team Twin Towers member, Bill Hough.

New York Post Opinion Letters: Building a Memorial is fine, but Towers are Needed, Too has been archived.


February 22, 2002

Everyone remembers the abundance of news stories purporting that fearful tenants were leaving the Empire State Building in masses. In corresponding with Empire State Building management about this issue, we learned of an article that appeared in the Wednesday, February 13, 2002 issue of Real Estate Weekly, in which one of the sources quoted stated those reports were tantamount to "yelling fire in a crowded theatre." The article also reported that Howard Rubenstein, who represents the Empire State Building, attributed the wave of tenant departures to dot-com failures, not to the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Real Estate Weekly does not have a website, however, the article in question is titled, "Empire State Building seen as desirable, despite report". The reporter was Parke Chapman, and it appeared in Volume 48, Issue 29, with a publication date of February 13, 2002.

The publication of this article proves that fears of working in tall buildings are largely generated and hyped by people who are in fear. These fears have no basis in facts. Failed dot-com companies do not translate into a mass exodus of fearful tenants. Meanwhile, people have resumed their lives in tall buildings around New York City, the US, and the rest of the world.



February 18, 2002

On February 18, 2002, the New York Post reported that conflicts between the Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Corporation and Larry Silverstein are still ongoing over the rebuilding of 7 WTC. September's Mission is planning civil disobedience to stop construction of anything other than a memorial at the WTC site.

Details: New York Post: Conflicts Plague Planners has been archived.



February 13, 2002

On February 13, the New York Daily News ran an article that detailed how the Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Corporation ultimately may have to concede any WTC site land use decisions to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

ARCHIVED: Rebuild Council Has PA to Face



February 12, 2002

On February 12, the New York Times reported on the slow recovery process for other buildings that were damaged outside of the WTC site.

ARCHIVED: New York Times: Rescuing the Buildings Beyond Ground Zero



February 10, 2002

On February 10, 2002, New York Newsday reporter Graham Rayman interviewed several people from around the US about a memorial design

New York Newsday: Grass-Roots Visions: Some are inspired to craft plans for Twin Towers site has been archived.



February 9, 2002

On February 9, a Quinnipiac University poll revealed that the majority of New Yorkers -- 75% -- support a multiple-use plan for the WTC site. The poll did not address the issue of rebuilding the Twin Towers

Details: New York 1 News: Poll Shows Majority Of New Yorkers Favor Multiple Uses For WTC Site has been archived.



February 8, 2002

On February 8, 2002, the New York Daily News reported that the Empire State Development Corporation, which is the parent to the Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Corporation, approved Larry Silverstein's plans to begin rebuilding 7 WTC by June, 2002. 7 WTC and the land it sat on are owned by Larry Silverstein and are separate from the original WTC complex. The long-evacuated 7 WTC collapsed in the late afternoon of September 11, without harming anyone.

ARCHIVED: New York Daily News: State Backs June Startup For New WTC Bldg.



February 6, 2002

On February 6, Larry Silverstein, who holds a net lease on the former Twin Towers is close to settling with two out of 24 insurers on the issue of whether the attacks of September 11, which killed nearly 2,900 people and destroyed the WTC complex should be counted as two attacks, or one.

New York 1 News: WTC Site Leaseholder Nearing $3.5 Billion Insurance Settlement has been archived

On February 6, New York Newsday reported that the "bathtub" designed to keep the waters of the Hudson River out has been compromised. An interior wall must be built inside the "bathtub" to reinforce it before anything can be constructed on the site.

New York Newsday: Trouble With the Water Engineer: Site canít be rebuilt without new wall has been archived.