Archived News -- October 2003

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October 30, 2003

On October 30, NY Newsday reported on six major flaws with the Libeskind Plan:

1 The purchase, demolition and reconstruction of the Deutsche Bank Properties which could cost over $1††† billion, yet do little to relieve the density of Libeskind's WTC site.
2 The proposed West St. Tunnel...an $860 million project that would reduce grade level lanes from six††† to four.
3 The sunken memorial making the WTC site largely impassable, exacerbated by crammed standard-width sidewalks
4 "Freedom Tower's" lobby would empty into a narrow Vesey street less than 40-feet away from a three-lane truck and car garage entry that thousands of people would have to pass each day
5 The planned hotel has a small lobby, standard-width sidewalks, and no room for taxis or other vehicles
6 Tower 3 is 1.9 million square feet, yet has a lobby only 4,200 square feet in size

These six items are the practical effects of the high floor area ratios NY Newsday had previously reported on.

New York Newsday: "WTC Plans, Costs Questioned," by Graham Rayman



October 30, 2003

On October 30, 1010 WINS reported that Gov. Pataki gave a speech about his re-development timetable today. Among the items discussed: A revised Childs/Libeskind "Freedom Tower" is to be released on December 15; During the week of Novemember 17, the memorial finalists' plans will be displayed in the Winter Garden; The area around the NY Stock Exchange will be beautified; ferry service to JFK and LGA is to be established in 2004 and 2005, as well as a ferry between Yonkers and Lower Manhattan.

1010 WINS: "Revised WTC Design Coming in December"



October 29, 2003

On October 29, the NY Post ran an editorial calling for Silverstein and Childs to show the public their modifications to Libeskind's "Freedom Tower" "Larry Silverstein was adamant in demanding that his architect be the one in charge of designing the Freedom Tower. And he won that fight. Now that he's gotten what he wanted, the public needs to see - now, not later - precisely what Team Silverstein intends to build," the editorial board wrote.

New York Post Opinion Editorials: "Show Us the Plan, Larry"

On October 29, the NY Daily News reported that Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff thinks there should be more street-level retail at the WTC site and a complete elimination of the underground mall concourse. He put his thoughts in a letter to Joseph Seymour, Executive Director, Port Authority of NY and NJ.

New York Daily News: "City in Sour Note on PA's WTC Plan," by Maggie Haberman and Greg Gittrich

On October 29, NY Newsday reported that Larry Silverstein's insurance dispute will go to trial in February 2004. In the interim, "Judge Michael Mukasey also proposed fellow Federal judge John Martin to act as a mediator in an effort to resolve the dispute before trial."

New York Newsday: "Trial Date Set for WTC Dispute," by Graham Rayman

On October 29, 1010 WINS reported that Larry Silverstein and GMAC Commercial Mortgage Corp had reached a tentative agreement in which Silverstein would buy out a loan made by GMAC towards rebuilding. GMAC sued Silverstein and Port Authority charging that they were squandering loan funds on the 1 event/2 event insurance litigation rather than rebuilding, and for committing to a rebuilding plan without consent of all bond holders.

1010 WINS: "WTC Developer Near Money Settlement"



October 28, 2003

On October 28, the NY Post reported that Libeskind's "Freedom Tower" has morphed into a more conventional structure. The main revision is that the office building portion has a conventional glass and steel curtain wall facade typical of a Midtown high-rise. The angled spire, which tops at 1776 feet, with the antenna to 2100 feet and the office building are now a singular structure. Libeskind and Childs are to meet today to work out their differences. Child's "Freedom Tower" remains a twisting 70-story structure with with an open lattice framework atop the 70th Fl.

New York Post: "Tower Turnaround," by William Neuman



October 27, 2003

On October 27, the NY Post ran three Letters to the Editor calling for the dumping of the Libeskind/Childs designs and rebuilding the Twin Towers. The letters were written by Gary Taustine, an independent rebuilder; Lou Epstein, founder of WTCRM; and TTT Member, Cherie Fernandez in that order.

"Daniel Libeskind has walked out on his collaboration with David Childs. He should keep on walking right back to the rock he crawled out from under. Childs should walk. too, and take his scrawny 70-story disappointment with him. Americans do not replace something they've lost with something less. We should not enshrine the terrorist destruction of our skyline. It's not too late to do the right thing: restore the Twin Towers to their former glory - and then some," Fernandez wrote.

New York Post Opinion Letters: "Libeskind Loses Latest Round Over WTC "



October 26, 2003

On October 26, NY1 reported that Libeskind and Childs vowed to continue talks following Libeskind's tumultuous exit of a meeting on the design of "Freedom Tower" on October 20.

NY 1: "WTC Designers Vow to Cooperate after Canceled Meeting"

On October 26, the NY Daily News reported that Libeskind's proposed memoirs will not be "tell all." He has signed a confidentiality agreement "limiting what he can discuss about the highly secretive process," the Daily News wrote. That's "hightly secretive," not "public" or "democratic."

New York Daily News: "Deal will Limit the Dirt in WTC Insider's Book," by Maggie Haberman



October 24, 2003

On October 24, the NY Post wrote an editorial berating Libeskind caring more about his own legacy than the future of the WTC site. "Bottom line: If Libeskind were to pull out, what would be lost? Not much. And what gained? Possibly, a lot. Your move, Dan."

New York Post Opinion Editorials: "Libeskind's Latest Lunacy"

On October 24, the NY Daily News reported that Port Authority is staying out of the Libeskind/Childs dispute taking the position that it's Silverstein's problem.

New York Daily News: "PA Dodging Ground Zero Tower Feud," by Maggie Haberman and Greg Gittrich

On October 24, 1010 WINS reported that the Port Authority Board voted "yes" on an agreement that would relieve Host Marriott of its land lease obligations at the WTC site. Under the agreement, Marriott would "surrender the premises" which means the chain would no longer have to pay rent on its net lease of the WTC land and would be relieved of its obligation to rebuild. Marriott would also pay $65 million, the remaining balance of the purchase price of the building (3 WTC) in order to be entitled to property insurance. Further, Marriott would pay the Port Authority $1 million for the option to make the first offer to run a new hotel at the site.

1010 WINS: "PA Votes on Marriott Vacating Property"



October 23, 2003

On October 23, several news organizations reported that Libeskind stormed out of a meeting with David Childs Monday over Childs' proposed changes to "Freedom Tower." The changes include designing the building as one structure that would twist to the top and taper with an empty open framework above the 70th story level. Libeskind ordered all but two of his employees to pack up their equipment and leave the Skidmore Owings and Merrill office where they were working in collaboration with Childs.

New York Post: "Libeskind Storms Out in WTC Battle," by William Neuman

New York Times: "Visions for Tower Clash at Trade Center Site," by David W. Dunlap

On October 23, the NY Daily News reported that a 7-car test PATH train carrying only the engineer and a conductor rolled into the temporary WTC station yesterday. The temporary station will open for revenue service on November 23.

New York Daily News: "PATH Arrival at the Pit is Solemn Triumph," by Greg Gittrich

Though not primary to the cause of rebuilding the Twin Towers, TTT occasionally reports on some of humankind's other greatest achievements, specifically NASA's Human Space Flight Program, and Concorde. Today, Concorde made her last revenue flight. By the end of the day tomorrow, she will never again grace our skies. Like the Twin Towers, Concorde was born of the Space Age. The anti-lock brakes that are standard on today's cars, as well as other technologies were invented for Concorde. A most poignant example of rebuilding, while the 9/11 attacks were occurring, Concorde was making a supersonic test flight to have her airworthiness certificates restored after an accident a year earlier. To Concorde we say, "Farewell and Thank You." We eagerly await her successor.

1010 WINS: "Concorde Flies Last Paying Passengers"



October 21, 2003

On October 21, Downtown Express printed a letter to the editor supporting its stand on the WTC bus garage. "The problem here is a political one. There are a group of respected people sorely hurt by our foreign policy who are setting an unrealistic agenda. Yes a memorial is required but once the city crowds in around the World Trade Center site again, the idea of it being sunk deep underground will make it the most unpleasant of places. This is a city. There will be no wide open spaces to memorialize anyone, except high up in the sky. We are all part of a much bigger organism, the city itself, which needs to function to live. A greater loss in the historical perspective would be the failure to take the opportunity to make the place work."

"The memorial is burned deeply in my memory. It can only be felt there. But in the end there are no memorials for the uncounted people who dropped in their traces every day, building this city to what it has become. Yes the victims of this tragedy died suddenly and unexpectedly, most in fear and heroism, but death often meets us that way. There have been no calls to gather every ash that scattered itself across this city and its rivers. It is as obviously unrealistic as the present calls to sanctify the footprints....The best memorial in my opinion is to give the city back itís heart, let it pump life and commerce through itís arteries, lift the memorial above the garages, into the sunlight. Please give us some politicians who have the nerve to do and say what needs to be said and done. And lets plan for the future. As sea levels rise, why have a memorial underwater? An underwater bus garage would be fitting," wrote Jamy Lasell.

Downtown Express Letters to the Editor: "Buses at the WTC"

On October 21, NY Newsday reported that a judge gave Larry Silverstein and GMAC Commercial Mortgage Corp another week to resolve a dispute over how its loan money is being spent. GMAC maintains that the money is not being spent on rebuilding and that a rebuilding plan was committed to without consultation with all of the bondholders involved.

NY Newsday: "Silverstein Gets a Week," by Katia Hetter



October 20, 2003

On October 20th, Scripps Howard Columnist Deroy Murdock wrote about Libeskind's propensity towards jarring architecture that glorifies death and destruction. In comparing the Jewish Musem in Berlin to Libeskind's WTC site plans, Murodock wrote: "It may seem unfair to compare Libeskind's plans for high-rise offices with a museum that documents 1,600 years of Judaic history and the Jews' near-extinction by the Nazis. In fact, Libeskind's work surely is influenced by the fact that 85 of the Polish-born architect's relatives were slaughtered on Adolf Hitler's orders. Still, what occupies these grounds on a quiet street here loudly echoes Libeskind's collection of jarring polygons that was picked to replace the sleek, majestic Twin Towers."

The museum's own description says, "Three angles of the building enclose a courtyard where architect Daniel Libeskind has made a rough-textured sculpture of basalt and granite on the ground surface. Its mosaic-like face passes through a passage to the other side of the building, and shards of it lie fragmented in several directions, so that the building rises from a broken landscape."

"I have argued repeatedly that the Twin Towers should rise as before, only stronger, or al Qaeda wins. And, once again, I plead for this to happen." Failing that, he said, "Renzo Piano and Helmut Jahn conceived much of the bold, optimistic layout and edifices that converted Potsdamer Platz from a Cold War relic into the crossroads of a free Europe. Imagine what they could do with, say, a 1,400-foot-tall assignment. These joyous designers should be in Manhattan, rebuilding what once reached for the stars on the east side of West Street."

National Review: "Dark Shadow Over Ground Zero," by Deroy Murdock



October 19, 2003

TTT President Randy Warner was invited to share a booth with the LA Weekly at the annual Sherman Oaks Street Fair today. TTT had taken out an ad in the LA Weekly, this past September 11th. Randy had the following on display: both TTT buttons, REBUILD magnets, REBUILD bumper stickers, REBUILD tee-shirts, as well as our original TTT baseball jersey, our new REBUILD business cards, as well as various articles from major newspapers that show support for rebuilding. Many people asked about the current state of rebuilding and a lot of people either assumed a plan was set in stone or had no idea what was going on. Randy fielded questions all day while accepting donations for various TTT items. A lot of transplanted New Yorkers were present and showed their support for TTT. Randy said, "I was very pleased to see a lot of people in the Los Angeles area showing their support for our efforts".

TTT could not thank the LA Weekly enough for donating their space to us and continuing in helping us get the word out.



October 14, 2003

On October 14, Downtown Express ran a letter to the editor by TTT Member Jadira Carmona of Los Angeles, CA in which she described the Libeskind plan as being in accordance with Bin Laden's wishes.

"The most evil man on earth said we (as in our society) would finish his work for him by retreating to caves and under rocks. And so we will...expect construction of bin Laden Square to begin in August ë04. Perhaps New York City should just deed the World Trade Center land over to him as well and be done with it. Why not? Heís already got the footprints sealed up, thanks to the demands of the victimsí families, of which most of them are still emotionally frozen. No commerce or retail space where the towers once stood. Most of us have heard the term, ìbe careful what you wish for, because you just might get it?î But, then these people just donít get it. If the people of the great city of New York allow Daniel Libeskindís architectural atrocity to become a reality, then that is exactly what the people of New York City deserves."

Downtown Express Letters to the Editor: "Al Qaeda's Wishes,"

On October 14, Downtown Express also ran an editorial calling for the bus garage to be built in the WTC site rather than offsite. The writer outlined the real costs for locating the bus terminal offsite in terms of land acquisition, property demolitions, and urban sprawl.

Downtown Express Talking Point: "Put the Bus Garage under the WTC Memorial,"

On October 14, Downtown Express reported that many tourists who view the WTC site from the World Financial Center's second floor don't know that a memorial for the WTC has not been selected yet. Most think it is already part of Libeskind's site plan. Apparently Winter Garden merchants support rebuilding the Twin Towers. One merchant, Korin said, "People when they walk by are still spooked. It's dead in here on weekdays. They don't want to come into the store, but this isn't a graveyard. Who knows how long before things will really return to normal and theyíll be finished with the memorial? Ten years? More?" He supports building on the Twin Towers' footprints. Watch Station employee Isaiah Nazario said his store has been doing well, but mentioned it is new to the Winter Garden. Watch Station employee Isaiah Nazario said, "As for the memorial, they should just rebuild the towers."

Downtown Express: "What Memorial? Winter Garden Visitors Confused Over Plans," by Ashley Winchester



October 13, 2003

On October 13, both NY Newsday and 1010 WINS reported that the Libeskind plan exceeds current NYC zoning limits. While the Port Authority is not bound to the NYC Zoning Resolution, Eli Attia, the architect who designed the Millenium Hilton Hotel on Church St. said the plan would result in the most congested sidewalks in NYC's history. "'They are cramming a lot onto the site and then you add people working, visiting the memorial, the museums, etc.,' said Paul Goldstein, district manager for Community Board 1." The LMDC regards the WTC site as a single parcel with a single owner, even with the streets running through, as the Port Authority owns those portions of the streets which would bisect the site. The LMDC calculations result in a floor area ratio of 12.2, which is well within the limits of the NYC Zoning Resolution, which the Port Authority is not subject to. The maximum floor area ratio permitted is 15. However, the Libeskind plan is divided into blocks with streets running through. If each individual block is calculated, the floor area ratio skyrockets to 37.8. The original WTC site's floor area ratio was 14 and it stood on a superblock with no streets.

"The scheme will create some of the worst urban density in the city, and the country," said Attia, who used a computer-drafting program to determine the lot dimensions from the revised master plan. "These are not just abstract numbers, they have real impacts on the surrounding streets and on the people who walk them," Attia said.

"As long as city streets go through the property, then it cannot be considered a single zoning block," he said. "The rights go with the land, not with the owner. It used to be a single zoning lot, but now you have four separate lots."

Ethel Sheffer, an independent planning consultant and president of the American Planning Association agreed that each individual parcel needed to be calculated, as they would be developed at different times, for different uses, by different architects.

NY Newsday: "Critics: WTC Crammed; Revised Master Plan Renews Debate about Site's Density," by Graham Rayman

1010 WINS: "Out of Bounds"



October 12, 2003

On October 12, the NY Times printed a letter to the editor calling for the Twin Towers to be rebuilt and spoke of the permanent psychological damage that would result from re-developing the site.

"Larry Silverstein and his architects will be known as those who replaced the World Trade Center rather than those who rebuilt it. If they follow the master plan, they will wipe out the history and memories of those who died in the attack and of all of us who worked, visited and traveled there."

"The long-term psychological damage to the greatest city in the world will go on forever. The site will always be referred to as "that's where the World Trade Center used to be."

"The memorial should be placed on the top of new and stronger towers and be a quiet place for all of us to meditate, pray and show our respect. Life goes on. No one wants to walk by a cemetery or memorial at ground level on the way to work and shop," wrote John Paris of Atlanta.

NY Times Letters to the Editor: "Grand Visions at Ground Zero"



October 10, 2003

On October 10, the NY Post reported that "Freedom Tower" is to rise to 2000 or 2100 feet to accommodate the needs of TV broadcasters for a higher antenna. Adding to the height could insure that it remains the World's Tallest Building for a longer time. It is still uncertain how the additional raw height will affect occupied height.

NY Post: "WTC Tower Will Now Top 2,000 Ft.," by William Neuman

On October 10, the NY Post reported that the LMDC's memorial jury has selected a number of finalists, who are now being asked to refine their designs.

NY Post: "Memorial Finalists Selected," by William Neuman

On October 10, the NY Times reported that Governor Pataki and LMDC President Kevin Rampe are trying to expedite a settlement of Twin Towers Leashold Owner Larry Silverstein's insurance case. Silverstein's position that the 9/11 attacks were two events and the resulting lawsuit against a number of insurers has cost over $100 million and could stall the rebuilding process.

NY Times: "Pataki Wants Insurance Settled so Trade Center Work can Begin," by Charles V. Bagli



October 8, 2003

On October 8, Downtown Express ran two letters to the editor calling for the Twin Towers to be rebuilt. "We are not keeping our vision of what belongs at ground zero. Sadly, weíre keeping the vision of Osama bin Laden, his 19 9/11 terrorists, and terrorists all over the world by preserving the open footprints that they created. The reason there are problems with rebuilding is the open wound that is sitting in the center of what we are trying to rebuild and move forward on....The World Trade Center needs to rise again from the center of ground zero and not spread out. To me, this is more devastating than rebuilding on the damn footprints," wrote David Lopez of Jersey City, NJ.

"Expanding the World Trade Center site is a no good idea. It is unnecessary. Just discard Larry Silversteinís irrational 70-story height limit and there is no problem with rebuilding ten million square feet of office space in 110-story towers. Such towers fitted on the site before 9/11/2001, and they will fit even with a significant memorial and some streets beside them," wrote TTT member Alexander Butziger, of Hamburg, Germany.

Downtown Express Letters to the Editor: "'Bin Laden's Footprints ' & 'Rebuild the Towers'"



October 7, 2003

On October 7, the NY Post reported that Larry Silverstein has spent over $100 million on his legal war with his insurers over his "two occurrences" claim. His legal bills run about $4 million per month, and will escalate as the trial approaches.

NY Post: "WTC Legal Battle Costs Larry $100M," by William Neuman



October 1, 2003

On October 1, Downtown Express ran two letters to the editor calling for the Twin Towers to be rebuilt. "The site is below street level because the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., etc., unwisely chose to justify the selection of Libeskindís design by endorsing his claims about the slurry wall. The expensive adjustments Josh mentions to get parking space for buses is partly because a site 30 feet down instead of at street level cuts into the space available for infrastructure below the site, but mainly because Pataki shot off his mouth about not building on the footprints ó and then didnít correct himself. The ìbedrock-to-infinityî crowd pounced instantly on the most expensive sentence ever blurted, and the decision-makers have been scrambling ever since," wrote Tom Richter of Rochester, NY.

"It still mystifies me that the families of the airplane and W.T.C. victims of 9/11, wish to leave a gaping hole where the once great towers stood. My guess is that each employee that worked there had a sense of pride concerning their address of employment. I maintain that if it were possible to poll the victims themselves, they would most certainly dare N.Y.C. officials not to allow the terroristsí handiwork remain a huge pockmark in Manhattan. This 'footprint' to me is a tribute to the terrorists themselves....Please do have a bedrock memorial site beneath the new, safer, Twin Towers. This is justified and appropriate. But to allow this signal to the world that terrorists can select a site in the U.S.A. to make a permanent hole in the ground, is beyond me," wrote Michael Ferguson of Vinston, VA.

Downtown Express Letters to the Editor: "'WTC Costs' & 'Build on the Footprints'"

On October 1, the NY Times reported that Lord Foster, of London, Jean Nouvel of Paris and Fumihiko Maki of Tokyo joined Daniel Libeskind, the master planner, and David M. Childs and T. J. Gottesdiener of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, which will design the first, and tallest, building, Freedom Tower. Foster had originally submitted the highest-rated of the nine plans the LMDC was reviewing prior to selecting Libeskind. The Foster plan called for joined, triangular Twin Towers on Church St.

NY Times: "The Roster of Ground Zero Architects Grows," by David W. Dunlap