I still remember where I was six years ago today. Eating dim sum when my Dad called from New York to tell me what just happened.
After the World Trade Center fell, then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani promised, “We will rebuild: We’re going to come out of this stronger than before, politically stronger, economically stronger. The skyline will be made whole again.” Then President George W. Bush declared, “As a symbol of America’s resolve, my administration will work with Congress, and these two leaders[, Giuliani and then-Governor George Pataki], to show the world that we will rebuild New York City.”
Even WTC leaseholder Larry Silverstein spoke up and added, “It would be the tragedy of tragedies not to rebuild this part of New York. It would give the terrorists the victory they seek.”
Now six years later, what’s been done?
First, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation was established by Pataki and Giuliani to distribute about $10 billion in federal funds aimed at rebuilding downtown Manhattan. Only this met with a lot of resistance and controversy.
Since the LMDC doesn’t actually own the World Trade Center site, differences of opinion with its owners—the Port Authority of NY & NJ and Silverstein Properties—led to delays. The LMDC was also criticized for not allowing the victims’ family members to participate in the voting of memorial proposals. After months and months of design proposals from all kinds of prominent architects (including the Donald-Trump-backed Twin Towers II), no single design pleased everyone.
Finally, the LMDC sponsored the World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition and Michael Arad’s and Peter Walker’s “Reflecting Absence” design won. Having completed its mission, the LMDC then dissolved.
The new architectural plans call for:
- Five new skyscrapers (1 WTC, Freedom Tower; Towers 2, 3, 4, and 5)
- National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center
- World Trade Center Transportation Hub
- Retail Complex
- Performing Arts Center
The latest news now is a finalized design being developed by Silverstein Properties and the PANYNJ. Construction is slated to begin next year.
That’ll be seven years later.
Which, in all honesty, is still pretty quick. Lots of people are complaining about how long it’s taken—and yes, it HAS taken a long time—but with a subject as controversial and passionate as the reconstruction of the World Trade Center, coupled with good old fashioned politics and trying to please the masses, of course it’s going to take a long time.
Anyone who’s ever built web software knows how big projects with a lot of stakeholders can last forever. Every chef knows that when there are too many cooks in the kitchen, consensus is rare. In the WTC’s case, the stakeholders and cooks are governors, mayors, real estate developers, architects, the public, and other prominent people with big egos.
No wonder it’s taken seven years to begin. Now I wonder how long the construction is going to take.
I’m working with the National September 11 Memorial and just came across your post this morning. I thought it provided a good description of the path to rebuilding – both the towers and the Memorial.
GregPC
Weber Shandwick
Thanks for the kind words, GregPC! I love that your site has ways to spread the word via Facebook (I just added you as a friend), Flickr, MySpace, YouTube, etc. Very smart.
Good luck with building the Memorial & Museum! I look forward to its opening.