NEW YORK | One World Trade Center | 1,776' Pinnacle / 1,373' Roof | 108 FLOORS

[Dac150]

Very nice!! What is the building directly east of the freedom tower going to be exactly?

A performing arts center I believe.

[CoolCzech]

Those renderings of the memorial feature a disturbing amount of concrete pavement. I'd prefer a look closer to that of Bryant Park:

http://www.benstrawbridge.com/links/blog-src/hello/1183012/640/bryant-2005.04.21-18.30.05.jpg
benstrawbridge.com

http://wirednewyork.com/fountains/bryant_park_fountain_28sept03.jpg
wirednewyork.com

[2-TOWERS]

It Is Amazing How Real Those Pictures Look. Hopefully It Will Look Exactly Like It.

[Daquan13]

Great pics, NYguy!!

Can't wait to see it in person when it's all done!

[jackie60]

i'm sure the concrete surface around the trees is meant to encourage people to wander through the memorial. if it were just sod they wouldn't be able to keep it alive with so much foot traffic.

[DUBAI2015]

is there significance to the number of trees?

I'm sure that the number of trees in the whole memorial is the same number of people who died on the towers.

[NYonward]

NY Post

THEY WILL DO WINDOWS
LOOKING FORWARD TO WINDOWS ON THE WORLD III

February 13, 2008 -- THE new restaurant planned to replace Windows on the World won't be as big as the original. It won't be quite as high. And it's still at least five years away.

But what a thrill, this Valentine's Day week, to know that it's coming. New Yorkers who have come to doubt every announcement of "progress" at Ground Zero should know that, of all things planned there, a new, sky-high restaurant is the closest thing to a done deal.

This month, I sorely miss, as I have for the past six years, the reservation request that always gave me fits - for a Feb. 14 table at Windows on the World.

Friends said they'd settle for bad tables. But on short notice, I couldn't find them space in the broom closet, much less near a 107th floor window.

Ever since 9/11, Windows on the World's absence has been most painfully felt at holidays. That's why the Port Authority's request for proposals from eatery operators is so heartening in a week that celebrates the romantic heart.

Many will write off the planned opening in early 2013, still a long way off, as a joke. But, in fact, the new restaurant's home, now called "One World Trade Center, The Freedom Tower," is already rising. The steel has started from the earth.

The PA will not want for suitors to re-create what was the highest-grossing restaurant in the land. Who will make offers remains to be seen.

Lower Manhattan Development Corp. president David Emil was once head of Night Sky, the outfit that ran Windows pre-9/11; but he's no longer in the business, having sold most of his interest and left his executive role. However, Night Sky, which made a deal to run the Plaza's Oak Room, will surely give the RFP a close read.

[RockMont]

I don't think the difference in height is all that dramatic, considering how tall the building will be. Just a matter of a few feet.

[Realthang]

They're pouring the concrete for the B3 level of the North core today... :tup:

[chex]

nice renders, i would like there wolud be more green areas tho..

[photoLith]

Man is this thing ever going to rise above street level? If its been previously stated sorry, Im kinda new, but when will it start to rise above street level?

[Austin55]

Can we Please have some construction Pics? Thanks.

Yes,way to much crete around those trees.
Also,whats the hieght of the lobby again?

[Daquan13]

I was about to ask the same thing.

[CoolCzech]

www.cushmanwakefield.com

Cushman & Wakefield awarded exclusive freedom tower Leasing Agency

Cushman & Wakefield, the world’s largest privately held global real estate services firm, has been named the exclusive leasing agent for 1 World Trade Center, the Freedom Tower, by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The Freedom Tower, currently under construction at the site of the former World Trade Center, will total over 240,000 sq m upon its completion in 2012.

“Cushman & Wakefield is thrilled and honored to have been named as the exclusive leasing agent for the Freedom Tower,” said Bruce Mosler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cushman & Wakefield.

“This building is a symbol of New York’s – and our nation’s – resurgence, and will become one of the most successful and globally recognized icons of all time. We are proud to partner with the Port Authority to bring this historic vision to reality, and to continue to play a leading role in the revival of Downtown Manhattan.”

Tara I. Stacom, Vice Chairman, is leading the Cushman & Wakefield leasing team.

To find out more about Cushman & Wakefield,
visit

[yarabundi]

Can we Please have some construction Pics? Thanks.

Same feeling here. It had been a long time since we had updates.

[Puzzlecraft]

Progress looks slow but activity continues around the core.

http://www.custompuzzlecraft.com/temp/Freedom_Tower_20080217.jpg

The left hand picture was clipped from http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/groundzero/ last January 22nd, the right hand picture today February 17, 2008. The core around the left hand crane has doubled in size. Steel support has appeared against the back wall.

[Daquan13]

Note the difference between the 2 pics above.

In the right one, there appears to be more steel against the slurry wall - a sign that things ARE moving right along.

[CGII]

Those renderings of the memorial feature a disturbing amount of concrete pavement. I'd prefer a look closer to that of Bryant Park:

Paris has lots of parks with cobblestone or gravel ground and big, thick trees to give shade, and they're positively beautiful. The memorial won't be dissappointing in the least.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1393/887649158_a7dadf6c60.jpg
Mr-Pan on flickr.com

[subterranean]

Those renderings of the memorial feature a disturbing amount of concrete pavement. I'd prefer a look closer to that of Bryant Park:

http://www.benstrawbridge.com/links/blog-src/hello/1183012/640/bryant-2005.04.21-18.30.05.jpg
benstrawbridge.com

http://wirednewyork.com/fountains/bryant_park_fountain_28sept03.jpg
wirednewyork.com



I couldn't agree with you more! That's the first thing I noticed when I saw those renderings. It makes the place uncomfortable and unapproachable. There's no place to relax without feeling like you're on a platter. The only reason I can come up with that they would design this like they have is that there is going to be an enormous amount of foot traffic from tourists, etc, and it will be cheaper to maintain in the short run. But one only needs to look as far as Hart Plaza in Detroit to see how poorly the concrete ages, and how uncomfortable a concrete space can be. Not to mention the movement of the concrete over time, cracking, etc, makes it look trashy eventually. The concrete may seem subdued by the aerial view because of all the trees, but at the ground level this is not a good design for the site. Personally, I would go with grass, like the photo CoolCzech posted.

[STERNyc]

Its a logisitics question, the grass would become trampled in no time.

[Down_Under_the_El]

And if you look at those pictures of Bryant Park no one is on the grass... they are all on the concrete. I think considering the amount of people coming to visit and the fact that it is a memorial not really a park lend to how it has turned out.

[Lecom]

Its a logisitics question, the grass would become trampled in no time.
Exactly.

[Realthang]

Note the difference between the 2 pics above.

In the right one, there appears to be more steel against the slurry wall - a sign that things ARE moving right along.

The black cross like things aren't steel... it's waterproofing for the slurry wall where the tie back endings are. It redirects any water to a proper drainage system. If you can find a picture of the north wall, you'll see them from one side of the wall to the other.

There are however, 6 new columns that were installed several weeks ago...

[Surrealplaces]

Progress looks slow but activity continues around the core.

http://www.custompuzzlecraft.com/temp/Freedom_Tower_20080217.jpg

The left hand picture was clipped from http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/groundzero/ last January 22nd, the right hand picture today February 17, 2008. The core around the left hand crane has doubled in size. Steel support has appeared against the back wall.

Glad to see that progress is still underway :tup:

[Urban Sky]

NY Post

THEY WILL DO WINDOWS
LOOKING FORWARD TO WINDOWS ON THE WORLD III

February 13, 2008 -- THE new restaurant planned to replace Windows on the World won't be as big as the original. It won't be quite as high. And it's still at least five years away.

But what a thrill, this Valentine's Day week, to know that it's coming. New Yorkers who have come to doubt every announcement of "progress" at Ground Zero should know that, of all things planned there, a new, sky-high restaurant is the closest thing to a done deal.

This month, I sorely miss, as I have for the past six years, the reservation request that always gave me fits - for a Feb. 14 table at Windows on the World.

Friends said they'd settle for bad tables. But on short notice, I couldn't find them space in the broom closet, much less near a 107th floor window.

Ever since 9/11, Windows on the World's absence has been most painfully felt at holidays. That's why the Port Authority's request for proposals from eatery operators is so heartening in a week that celebrates the romantic heart.

Many will write off the planned opening in early 2013, still a long way off, as a joke. But, in fact, the new restaurant's home, now called "One World Trade Center, The Freedom Tower," is already rising. The steel has started from the earth.

The PA will not want for suitors to re-create what was the highest-grossing restaurant in the land. Who will make offers remains to be seen.

Lower Manhattan Development Corp. president David Emil was once head of Night Sky, the outfit that ran Windows pre-9/11; but he's no longer in the business, having sold most of his interest and left his executive role. However, Night Sky, which made a deal to run the Plaza's Oak Room, will surely give the RFP a close read.

i know this is a page or so back...but im excited. looking forward to eating here once it reopens! :yes:

[korzym]

I don't know if anyone's mentioned this before, but every time I look at the memorial..tower water fall holes...I always ask myself what will happen to someone if they fall in there? People may fall in there for all sorts of reasons..fooling around, 'stunt men', suicides [I really hope not..], and just plain crazy lunatics. I see that pit/trench, but still people are inventive.

My first glance of the holes is that its a hazard. I'm all for making a memorial to commemorate the victims, but this is just one part of it I don't understand.

http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/92817855/original.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/nyguy/image/92817877/original.jpg

[harryc]

I don't know if anyone's mentioned this before, but every time I look at the memorial..tower water fall holes...I always ask myself what will happen to someone if they fall in there? People may fall in there for all sorts of reasons..fooling around, 'stunt men', suicides [I really hope not..], and just plain crazy lunatics. I see that pit/trench, but still people are inventive.

My first glance of the holes is that its a hazard. I'm all for making a memorial to commemorate the victims, but this is just one part of it I don't understand.



It's a NYC test - if you can't avoid falling in the water then please please please stay away from the subway.

[Daquan13]

Those renderings of the memorial feature a disturbing amount of concrete pavement. I'd prefer a look closer to that of Bryant Park:

http://www.benstrawbridge.com/links/blog-src/hello/1183012/640/bryant-2005.04.21-18.30.05.jpg
benstrawbridge.com

http://wirednewyork.com/fountains/bryant_park_fountain_28sept03.jpg
wirednewyork.com



Boston has a park that looks similar to the one in the pic above in front of the
Harvard School of Medicine on Longwood Ave.

[STERNyc]

I don't know if anyone's mentioned this before, but every time I look at the memorial..tower water fall holes...I always ask myself what will happen to someone if they fall in there? People may fall in there for all sorts of reasons..fooling around, 'stunt men', suicides [I really hope not..], and just plain crazy lunatics. I see that pit/trench, but still people are inventive.

My first glance of the holes is that its a hazard. I'm all for making a memorial to commemorate the victims, but this is just one part of it I don't understand.

I think its a non-issue. You can say the same thing about a number of things, the subway for instance has no barriers whatsoever and people almost never purposely go into the tracks. A kid fell jumped or fell from a barrier at Yankee Stadium and was promptly arrested and banned from the Stadium. I can think of a million more effective ways to commit suicide than jumping in that shallow pit.

[ATLksuGUY]

It's a NYC test - if you can't avoid falling in the water then please please please stay away from the subway.


:haha: I just hope it will have a penny catcher/collector for all the tourists throwing loose change into it.

[Puzzlecraft]

Will be interesting to see how the WTC waterfall holes operate when the temperature is well below freezing.

Aside to Realthang - thanks for info re: slurry wall non-steel waterproofing.

[subterranean]

Is it LEED certified? HAHAHA

[gttx]

My only real problem is with how many trees there are everywhere....I feel like you will meander through the memorial, and will have to just stumble upon the two huge holes in the ground. There is no vista for seeing them except right next to the pits, which I think makes it difficult to take in the enormity of what used to be buildings. I could be totally wrong, but the forest look is just rubbing me the wrong way.

[BrandonJXN]

Unless you're Helen Keller, you'll be able to see and hear 2 large waterfalls.

[CoolCzech]

^ I was wondering whatever happened to Helen... :eek:

[RockMont]

Note the difference between the 2 pics above.

In the right one, there appears to be more steel against the slurry wall - a sign that things ARE moving right along.



Just like I said before. It is a massive project. The bigger it is the longer it'll take to lay down the foundation. Since they're taking their time, they must be doing it right. Once the tower starts to rise, then I think things will speed up.

[rich_200]

:haha: I just hope it will have a penny catcher/collector for all the tourists throwing loose change into it.

Of course there will be, how do you think they plan to recover the investment?

[37TimPPG]

Of course there will be, how do you think they plan to recover the investment?

I thought that's what the Chinese were for?:D

[Ghost]

Here is some photos from wtcrising.com (from Janyary):

http://www.wtcrising.com/images/FE/chain217siteType8/site187/client/photoGallery/189/IMG_1219%20copy_big.jpg

http://www.wtcrising.com/images/FE/chain217siteType8/site187/client/photoGallery/189/IMG_1751%20copy_big.jpg

http://www.wtcrising.com/images/FE/chain217siteType8/site187/client/photoGallery/189/IMG_1346%20copy_big.jpg

You can't say there isn't any activity...

[Daquan13]

And as the tower gets even taller, more workers will come!

I remember when 7 WTC's concrete base seemed kind of slow. But once the steel started rising, the tower took off!

[Apex]

I thought that's what the Chinese were for?:D

What the hell is that supposed to mean? :koko:

[37TimPPG]

What the hell is that supposed to mean? :koko:

It means that the Chinese bailed out Citibank, Merrill Lynch and other financial institutions involved in the credit crunch. It's only a matter of time before they start purchasing large chunks of Real Estate. Incidentally, didn't a Chinese state-controlled holding company lease a large block of space at the Freedom Tower?

THAT'S WHAT THE HELL THAT MEANS!:hell:

[Surrealplaces]

Here is some photos from wtcrising.com (from Janyary):

http://www.wtcrising.com/images/FE/chain217siteType8/site187/client/photoGallery/189/IMG_1219%20copy_big.jpg

http://www.wtcrising.com/images/FE/chain217siteType8/site187/client/photoGallery/189/IMG_1751%20copy_big.jpg

http://www.wtcrising.com/images/FE/chain217siteType8/site187/client/photoGallery/189/IMG_1346%20copy_big.jpg

You can't say there isn't any activity...

Cool photos!

[WonderlandPark]

Yes, finally, getting up and above ground level. Its taken long enough.

[SkyWatcher]

I like the trees....I think they frame the waterfalls very nicely. If you want a vista of the falls you'd be better off seeing them from a few floors up. I think a wide open space would be butt ugly....we have too many of those as it is.

[Complex01]

Yes, finally, getting up and above ground level. Its taken long enough.

Wow, yeah its rising. Nice...

:cool:

[Daquan13]

Yes, finally, getting up and above ground level. Its taken long enough.



A complicated massive construction project such as this normally takes some time just to reach street level, much less rise above it.

[Xeelee]

Looks good to me.

[Daquan13]

It means that the Chinese bailed out Citibank, Merrill Lynch and other financial institutions involved in the credit crunch. It's only a matter of time before they start purchasing large chunks of Real Estate. Incidentally, didn't a Chinese state-controlled holding company lease a large block of space at the Freedom Tower?

THAT'S WHAT THE HELL THAT MEANS!:hell:



Wasn't that Vantone?

The same Chinese firm that was about to rent office in 7 WTC just before the deal went sour between them and Silverstein?

They seemingly took too long to produce the money, so Silvie had swiftly put the breaks on and shitcanned the deal.

[mclancer]

back on topic ..... boys!

[CoolCzech]

Long Journey of Freedom Tower Steel
By AMY WESTFELDT – 1 day ago

NEW YORK (AP) — The steel bound for the Freedom Tower at ground zero travels thousands of miles, from a plant in Luxembourg where columns are rolled through casting machines at temperatures approaching 2,340 degrees.

Scrap metal melted into liquid steel in an electric furnace is cast, heated, cooled and heated again at the ArcelorMittal steel mill in Differdange.

The steel makes its way to a plant in Virginia where the huge columns are cut to size. Eventually, it is shipped to New York City, where the columns are lifted by crane and painstakingly set on top of each other at ground zero.

The jumbo steel columns — foot by foot, ton by ton — are forming the skeleton of the 1,776-foot Freedom Tower, designed just after the 2001 attacks to replace the destroyed World Trade Center. Each column makes a 4,700-mile journey, taking weeks and sometimes months to arrive at ground zero.

Jim Brown, a steelworker at the Virginia factory, sees the symbolism in each column.

"It stands for something. It represents something. It represents strength," Brown said. "You can tear down a building, but you can't tear down the spirit of people."

Steel for the Freedom Tower comes first from Luxembourg, location of one of the world's only plants that builds columns of that size.

Poured into an H-shaped mold, the steel passes through a continuous casting machine in Differdange, cooled, cut down and reheated while engineers work at computers in distant control rooms.

The first shipment left Europe in 2006; some 9,400 tons have been ordered so far from ArcelorMittal. Nearly 50,000 tons will be needed to build the 102-story tower.

About two weeks later, the steel arrives at New Jersey or Virginia ports and are trucked to Banker Steel in Lynchburg, Va., where Brown is waiting.

Fabricated with base plates to connect the pieces and milled so that the ends are completely flat, the steel leaves Virginia, stopping at a New Jersey trucking yard before making the last leg of the trip to the trade center site.

The first Freedom Tower columns to rise at the end of 2006 were painted white, bearing signatures of ironworkers, New Yorkers and family members of Sept. 11 victims. They are gone from view now, covered with concrete.

The current columns — plain brown, with quality codes scrawled on their ends — are surrounded by hundreds of slender steel rods, trailers and hundreds of Tishman Construction Corp. workers. Meanwhile, commuter trains snake through the site every few minutes.

Last month, six columns came from New Jersey and were set into place on the building's west side. Ironworker Richie Shuler was there. He returned to the site last October, for the first time since trucks removed over a million tons of rubble from the destroyed towers just after the attacks.

"I was here two hours after the trade center fell," Shuler said.

In the beginning, the return to rebuild the site was "a little eerie," he said, "but it becomes a job."

By summer, steel will rise above street level for the first time; the Port Authority of New York and Jersey, which owned the trade center and is building the Freedom Tower, says it will take four more years to build: 102 stories, the same height as the twin towers, topped by a spire once likened to the Statue of Liberty's torch.

Brown is waiting eagerly.

"We want to bring that completion," he said. "We won't be happy until we see the needle put on top of it."

[CoolCzech]

OK, so is this tower 102 stories, 108 stories, really only 70-something stories???

[Daquan13]

CoolCzech, I think James Bond 007 already posted that article in one of the WTC Redevelopment threads.

Yeah, I heard that it was 108 floors now also. I think someone has their wires crossed again.

At this point, why not just make it 110 floors and be done with it? That's only two more floors away.

[CoolCzech]

dailynews.com

Monday, February 25, 2008

Pros fear new towers at World Trade Center site have security gaps
by greg b. smith and douglas feiden
daily news staff writers

Sunday, February 24th 2008, 4:00 AM

Law enforcement officials have major concerns about security weaknesses in the planned World Trade Center complex, a Daily News investigation has found.

The potential problems expressed to the Port Authority and others involved in the most high-profile development project in New York City history include:

A row of three mostly glass towers positioned too closely to city streets, increasing their vulnerability to attack.

Difficulties in inspecting some 2,000 delivery trucks and sightseeing buses that will enter or leave the site daily.

A vehicle security center that hasn't been fully designed and relies on vehicle inspection technology that hasn't even been developed yet.

Asked about weaknesses uncovered by The News in the plans for rebuilding Ground Zero, Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said, "The NYPD has been in talks with the Port Authority, but we don't disclose any information about possible security vulnerabilities for obvious reasons."

Port Authority spokesman Stephen Sigmund said the agency is "very confident that the entire rebuilt WTC site - every building and every square inch - will operate with an unprecedented level of safety and security."

Michael Balboni, Gov. Spitzer's deputy secretary for public safety, emphasized, "At the end of the day, this will be one of the most secure footprints on the globe."

Law enforcement counterterrorism specialists have pinpointed serious flaws in key components of the Trade Center site, including three of the signature office towers projected to open by 2012.

Towers 2, 3 and 4 - which will rise between Greenwich and Church Sts. to 79, 71 and 64 stories, respectively - contain too much glass, sources familiar with the issues said.

They also are not set back far enough from the two streets - where uninspected trucks will whiz by - to meet the most rigorous security standards, the sources said.

"The reimposition of the street grid is an integral part of the plan to bring vibrancy to lower Manhattan," said Avi Schick, chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp.

"The administration understands the need to balance that goal with legitimate security concerns."

Another concern: The buildings do not meet Department of Defense or Department of Homeland Security blast standards. That means they can withstand certain types of explosions - but not more powerful blasts.

The DOD blast standards - rarely applied to U.S. skyscrapers - are typically used in U.S. embassies and missions abroad, sensitive government facilities and military bases.

Counterterrorism officials contend that because of the 1993 and 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, and Al Qaeda's pattern of repeatedly striking targets, DOD blast standards should be used in the Ground Zero buildings.

"The plans have been out for quite a while on these buildings, and it would have been nice to voice these concerns at the start rather than wait until now," said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who represents lower Manhattan. "The community wants to move forward."

A spokesman for Larry Silverstein, the developer of the three towers, declined to comment on security issues.

Silverstein's buildings - including a 1,270-foot giant that will be taller than the Empire State Building - have been designed with a steel-encased concrete core and engineered with safety systems exceeding the city's building code and the requirements of the Port Authority, his company says.

The Freedom Tower's extra safety measures - including being set back farther from the street, thicker glass and upgraded blast standards - were done after the NYPD raised questions about the building's weaknesses. Similar changes were made to the trade center's transportation hub after issues arose.

Asked about the overall effort to ensure the new trade center is secure, James Kallstrom, the former director of the FBI's New York office and former Gov. George Pataki's homeland security chief, said: "It's complicated. It's a very crowded area. It's not easy ... It's going to require state-of-the-art technology and competent, trained manpower."

The need for screening every single truck entering the area and the difficulties of carefully managing inspections were key issues Kallstrom addressed in a report he completed before leaving government last year.

Kallstrom and Balboni declined to discuss the report's recommendations, though Balboni said most were being implemented.

While inspecting thousands of vehicles a day is tough enough, the problem is more complicated in lower Manhattan because of narrow streets and thick traffic.

"We can't let anything enter the underground in that acreage that could have the potential for certain size devices or bombs without proper screening," Kallstrom said.

All delivery trucks and buses will access the complex through a new Vehicular Security Center, an underground complex with an entrance and exit on Liberty St. that will function as the central security checkpoint.

The $478 million project has been on the drawing boards since 2003 and was to start last April, but all the Port Authority has done is move some utilities and sewer lines.

Delays in demolition of the toxic former Deutsche Bank tower have made it close to impossible for construction of the subterranean project to begin.

Bids for a contractor haven't gone out, and excavation of the so-called south bathtub for the center hasn't begun, the bistate agency confirmed.

"Obviously, the fact that [Deutsche Bank] is not down presents some serious challenges to the VSC," Sigmund said.

There's more: The design and engineering specifications, which the Port Authority said in 2006 were being finalized, are not ready, and the screening technology does not exist.

Nevertheless, the PA said the Vehicular Security Center is set to be finished when the other buildings come on line, by 2011 or 2012.

"We will have the appropriate technology to do the screening when the VSC is completed," Sigmund said, noting the facility will meet DOD and Homeland Security standards.

Sigmund said they would inspect vehicles "off-site or in a holding area if necessary," declining to specify where it would take place.

That's a nightmare scenario for downtown residents, who say they're worried the Sept. 11 museum and other buildings will open before the Vehicular Security Center is completed, compromising security and the quality of life.

Asked if he was troubled the center has fallen behind schedule, Balboni said: "I'm not concerned yet, but that could change. We're watching it very closely."

dfeiden@nydailynews.com
**********************************

Well... Leaping Lizards, Daddy Starbucks!!! Ya think you could'a said something like, oh, two years ago???

Actually, I was wondering why the FT and 7 WTC had to have bunkers for a base, but towers 2, 3, and 4 were good to go as conventional structures.

The thing is: fortified bases would have done nothing for the original Twins, because airplanes were flown into them. It seems to me that the best way to protect the entire complex is to be proactive in fighting terrorism, and to provide human security at the WTC site.

BTW, I hope the NYPD understands they just made it 100 fold harder for Silverstein to find clients for his new towers, and that JPMorgan can scarcely be blamed for reconsidering their commitment to build their own tower at the Center.

[towerguy3]

In the top photo in post # 2543 above, which building is the DeutscheBank that they're tearing down (the one that had the big fire?)

[Dac150]

In the top photo in post # 2543 above, which building is the DeutscheBank that they're tearing down (the one that had the big fire?)

Correct, among other problems.

[towerguy3]

found it; has deconstruction commenced again?

[cwilson]

New York has such pretty buildings but dont ya think it would be good to have some land in that beautiful city??

[CoolCzech]

New York has such pretty buildings but dont ya think it would be good to have some land in that beautiful city??

You mean like this?


http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/images/Central_Park_aerial_v-1297.jpg
(blog.tmcnet)

:rolleyes:

[Down_Under_the_El]

I think they mean that all the water surrounding the city is useless and should be filled in!

[Daquan13]

dailynews.com

Monday, February 25, 2008

Pros fear new towers at World Trade Center site have security gaps
by greg b. smith and douglas feiden
daily news staff writers

Sunday, February 24th 2008, 4:00 AM

Law enforcement officials have major concerns about security weaknesses in the planned World Trade Center complex, a Daily News investigation has found.

The potential problems expressed to the Port Authority and others involved in the most high-profile development project in New York City history include:

A row of three mostly glass towers positioned too closely to city streets, increasing their vulnerability to attack.

Difficulties in inspecting some 2,000 delivery trucks and sightseeing buses that will enter or leave the site daily.

A vehicle security center that hasn't been fully designed and relies on vehicle inspection technology that hasn't even been developed yet.

Asked about weaknesses uncovered by The News in the plans for rebuilding Ground Zero, Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said, "The NYPD has been in talks with the Port Authority, but we don't disclose any information about possible security vulnerabilities for obvious reasons."

Port Authority spokesman Stephen Sigmund said the agency is "very confident that the entire rebuilt WTC site - every building and every square inch - will operate with an unprecedented level of safety and security."

Michael Balboni, Gov. Spitzer's deputy secretary for public safety, emphasized, "At the end of the day, this will be one of the most secure footprints on the globe."

Law enforcement counterterrorism specialists have pinpointed serious flaws in key components of the Trade Center site, including three of the signature office towers projected to open by 2012.

Towers 2, 3 and 4 - which will rise between Greenwich and Church Sts. to 79, 71 and 64 stories, respectively - contain too much glass, sources familiar with the issues said.

They also are not set back far enough from the two streets - where uninspected trucks will whiz by - to meet the most rigorous security standards, the sources said.

"The reimposition of the street grid is an integral part of the plan to bring vibrancy to lower Manhattan," said Avi Schick, chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp.

"The administration understands the need to balance that goal with legitimate security concerns."

Another concern: The buildings do not meet Department of Defense or Department of Homeland Security blast standards. That means they can withstand certain types of explosions - but not more powerful blasts.

The DOD blast standards - rarely applied to U.S. skyscrapers - are typically used in U.S. embassies and missions abroad, sensitive government facilities and military bases.

Counterterrorism officials contend that because of the 1993 and 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, and Al Qaeda's pattern of repeatedly striking targets, DOD blast standards should be used in the Ground Zero buildings.

"The plans have been out for quite a while on these buildings, and it would have been nice to voice these concerns at the start rather than wait until now," said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who represents lower Manhattan. "The community wants to move forward."

A spokesman for Larry Silverstein, the developer of the three towers, declined to comment on security issues.

Silverstein's buildings - including a 1,270-foot giant that will be taller than the Empire State Building - have been designed with a steel-encased concrete core and engineered with safety systems exceeding the city's building code and the requirements of the Port Authority, his company says.

The Freedom Tower's extra safety measures - including being set back farther from the street, thicker glass and upgraded blast standards - were done after the NYPD raised questions about the building's weaknesses. Similar changes were made to the trade center's transportation hub after issues arose.

Asked about the overall effort to ensure the new trade center is secure, James Kallstrom, the former director of the FBI's New York office and former Gov. George Pataki's homeland security chief, said: "It's complicated. It's a very crowded area. It's not easy ... It's going to require state-of-the-art technology and competent, trained manpower."

The need for screening every single truck entering the area and the difficulties of carefully managing inspections were key issues Kallstrom addressed in a report he completed before leaving government last year.

Kallstrom and Balboni declined to discuss the report's recommendations, though Balboni said most were being implemented.

While inspecting thousands of vehicles a day is tough enough, the problem is more complicated in lower Manhattan because of narrow streets and thick traffic.

"We can't let anything enter the underground in that acreage that could have the potential for certain size devices or bombs without proper screening," Kallstrom said.

All delivery trucks and buses will access the complex through a new Vehicular Security Center, an underground complex with an entrance and exit on Liberty St. that will function as the central security checkpoint.

The $478 million project has been on the drawing boards since 2003 and was to start last April, but all the Port Authority has done is move some utilities and sewer lines.

Delays in demolition of the toxic former Deutsche Bank tower have made it close to impossible for construction of the subterranean project to begin.

Bids for a contractor haven't gone out, and excavation of the so-called south bathtub for the center hasn't begun, the bistate agency confirmed.

"Obviously, the fact that [Deutsche Bank] is not down presents some serious challenges to the VSC," Sigmund said.

There's more: The design and engineering specifications, which the Port Authority said in 2006 were being finalized, are not ready, and the screening technology does not exist.

Nevertheless, the PA said the Vehicular Security Center is set to be finished when the other buildings come on line, by 2011 or 2012.

"We will have the appropriate technology to do the screening when the VSC is completed," Sigmund said, noting the facility will meet DOD and Homeland Security standards.

Sigmund said they would inspect vehicles "off-site or in a holding area if necessary," declining to specify where it would take place.

That's a nightmare scenario for downtown residents, who say they're worried the Sept. 11 museum and other buildings will open before the Vehicular Security Center is completed, compromising security and the quality of life.

Asked if he was troubled the center has fallen behind schedule, Balboni said: "I'm not concerned yet, but that could change. We're watching it very closely."

dfeiden@nydailynews.com
**********************************

Well... Leaping Lizards, Daddy Starbucks!!! Ya think you could'a said something like, oh, two years ago???

Actually, I was wondering why the FT and 7 WTC had to have bunkers for a base, but towers 2, 3, and 4 were good to go as conventional structures.

The thing is: fortified bases would have done nothing for the original Twins, because airplanes were flown into them. It seems to me that the best way to protect the entire complex is to be proactive in fighting terrorism, and to provide human security at the WTC site.

BTW, I hope the NYPD understands they just made it 100 fold harder for Silverstein to find clients for his new towers, and that JPMorgan can scarcely be blamed for reconsidering their commitment to build their own tower at the Center.



What I don't get is why didn't all this great concern for the security of these towers come out just when their renderings were unveiled?

I'm just willing to bet that they'll end up having concrete bunker bases as well. I feel it coming!

What a damn shame!! Seems like all someone wants to do is try to stall Ground Zero to the utmost and keep it moving at a snail's pace!!

Will these towers also have to go back to the drawing board multiple times like the Freedom Tower did? Time will tell.

[Down_Under_the_El]

I'm sure the pros have fears even for the Freedom Tower with its reenforced base, but I think if there was going to be major alterations to the buildings they would've happened already.

[Daquan13]

We'll see what else happens in the coming months.

[37TimPPG]

Why don't they just make all the buildings concrete bunkers? No glass at all...no public visitation...no nothing! Just 3 large concrete bunkers in the sky!

(Sigh!) Why wasn't this all brought out when the final designs were unveiled?

Here We Go Again....:shrug:

[antinimby]

You can't have concrete bunkers, recessed from the streets in those three towers because it will be hard to sell them to commercial tenants, who want large open floor plates on the ground floor and lots of light.

No company is going to pay $100 psf to work in a darkened fortress.

This is where they're just going to have to use technology and security check points to keep suspect vehicles from entering those areas. Problem solved.

[CoolCzech]

I'll wager that Silverstein is not going to waste the time it takes to land two squirts of piss in a toilet bowl on this. Now HE'S the one who'll have to pay money if there are any delays... and he's simply going to start construction.

Gov. Pataki... err, "Spitzer," is just going to have to tell the NYPD to come up with a really good "Plan B" for protecting the area.

[Dac150]

At this point I would imagine that Silverstein is beyond caring about what the NYPD has to say, or anyone else for that matter. All his concern is based on getting those three towers up as soon as possible and filling them up with tenants.

Like I said prior, if the NYPD has concerns for the safety incorporation with the design, they should've spoke up instead of coming out with it now when construction is begining. Bad timing on their end.

[Daquan13]

Can you blame him?

Every damn time when things seem to be going smoothly for Ground Zero, along comes another monkey wrench to be thrown into the mix!

Makes you wonder if we'll be around to see all of the land rebuilt!e

I can hear it now. TalB will be saying and thinking that the rebuild will all be stopped.

[Dac150]

Can you blame him?

100% no. The man has been to hell and back with this entire process and has faced the worst happening a developer can ever face. He deserves the ability to get the show rolling with the construction of the 3 towers and start re-generating his empire.

The intentions of the NYPD are in the right place, but it is how they came out with it that is no good.

[Daquan13]

100% no. The man has been to hell and back with this entire process and has faced the worst happening a developer can ever face. He deserves the ability to get the show rolling with the construction of the 3 towers and start re-generating his empire.

The intentions of the NYPD are in the right place, but it is how they came out with it that is no good.



Yeah, right idea, wrong approach!

The time for them to speak on this was when the designs were first revealed.
Not ten months or so later!

[Dac150]

The time for them to speak on this was when the designs were first revealed. Not ten months or so later!

There has got to be a reason for the delay. It doesn't seem right that this would come out now. There's gotta be more to it.

[Daquan13]

Yeah, wasn't work On Tower 2 supposed to get started last month?

We are almost into March, and nothing has taken place there yet!

[CoolCzech]

There has got to be a reason for the delay. It doesn't seem right that this would come out now. There's gotta be more to it.

Well, everyday that Silverstein is delayed means money for the PA...
How's THAT for a conspiracy theory?:cool:

[Daquan13]

Sounds about right. Like they're deliberately slowing things down.

And they were supposed to be helping to keep their end of the bargain.

[Dac150]

Well, everyday that Silverstein is delayed means money for the PA...
How's THAT for a conspiracy theory?:cool:

Well there is no doubt that he could use the money. Even though what he is making per day in delay fees is pocket change for the type of business he is doing, it builds up over time.

Still though, if I were him, and this were the case, I'd cut loose the charity and dive into the pool that'll bring in the real dollars.

[Daquan13]

Looks like they are playing games with him. Must we do their thinking for them?

This is just stupid and ridiculous!!

[cwilson]

Pictuers look GREAT!!!

[SJPhillyBoy]

I am very happy to see this thing starting to come up out of the ground. It is going to be amazing.

[Daquan13]

Well, everyday that Silverstein is delayed means money for the PA...
How's THAT for a conspiracy theory?:cool:



Actually, not so. I would hate to dispute you, but..........,

As it turns out, the PA owed HIM money because they simply took too long in excavating and prepping the land for Tower 2. This spot was supposed to have been done between December and last month. They paid him too!

That was their penalty fine, on which they themselves agreed to upon when the deal was finalized not too long after the Freedom Tower's constr. got started.

They have until June to complete the prepping for the spots where Towers 3 & 4 will go. Or else, they'll have to pay another penalty charge for not having THOSE spots ready for 3 & 4!

This screw-up BTW, as already caused a setback on the plans, and has already pushed the timetable back for that half of Ground Zero. At least seven months or so.

So don't fear that it's costing Silvie more money because of their blundering screw-ups and delays, oh no. He's making MORE money from the PA for them not delivering the goods.

[Surrealplaces]

I am very happy to see this thing starting to come up out of the ground. It is going to be amazing.

That makes two of us!

[Realthang]

Daquan13, you have your towers reversed. They failed to turn over the land for towers 3 & 4 on January 1st, therefore the late payment penalty. They'll have until July 1st to turn over the land for T2 or again they'll be paying the penalty.

Having said that, from the web cam perspective, it's hard to see if they are doing much of anything at T3 & T4. According to the published schedule, they only have about another 5 months to complete the T3/4 foundations!

[jayden]

Daquan13, you have your towers reversed. They failed to turn over the land for towers 3 & 4 on January 1st, therefore the late payment penalty. They'll have until July 1st to turn over the land for T2 or again they'll be paying the penalty.

Having said that, from the web cam perspective, it's hard to see if they are doing much of anything at T3 & T4. According to the published schedule, they only have about another 5 months to complete the T3/4 foundations!
They may still be on target. I'm sure the foundation won't take nearly as long as the Freedom Tower took before it begins to rise above ground.

[Daquan13]

Daquan13, you have your towers reversed. They failed to turn over the land for towers 3 & 4 on January 1st, therefore the late payment penalty. They'll have until July 1st to turn over the land for T2 or again they'll be paying the penalty.

Having said that, from the web cam perspective, it's hard to see if they are doing much of anything at T3 & T4. According to the published schedule, they only have about another 5 months to complete the T3/4 foundations!



Isn't or wasn't Tower 2 supposed to be the next one started after the Freedom Tower? That's what I read a while back at least.

In any case, yes, they ARE slowing things down over there.

Jayden, these towers are slated to be about as tall as the Empire State Building, if not taller, so they'll still be very massive in stature, which means that the foundation work may be just as long, complex and complicated.

[philvia]

the foundation work may be just as complex and complicated.

there isn't a subway line running through a corner of the foundation though, like in the FT

[Daquan13]

there isn't a subway line running through a corner of the foundation though, like in the FT



In the area surrounding the memorial under the first half of Ground Zero.

It's been relocated form the way that it used to run around - under and through the infrastucture of the Twins before the terror attacks.

[Realthang]

Isn't or wasn't Tower 2 supposed to be the next one started after the Freedom Tower?

The order is T1, T3/T4, T2, and some day T5. Actually, when I mentioned only five months to go, I was referring to someone who chastised me for being negative because I stated that I didn't believe, given the history of the site, that they could complete the foundation for T3 or T4 in six months. Personally, I would like nothing better than for them to stay on their announced schedule. Little did I imagine 2 years ago when I started following the building of T1 that in March 2008 the building would still be below street level.

As I understand it, the foundation work for T2/T3/T4 should be reasonably normal, unlike the challenges of T1.

[Daquan13]

I just think that that's kind of a backwards-ass way of doing it.

When the Twins were being built, they started with the North Tower first, then the South Tower.

In fact, the NT was about a third of the way up before construction on the ST began.

The only thing that would make me think the reason that Tower 2 isn't being started yet is that the old stairs from the former WTC still might be sitting in that spot - and EVEN THAT is still a lame excuse.

This is just backward thinking to me, either way you spell it.

[ramvid01]

^^How is it backward? I don't see your logic, just because one building is numbered lower than another it should be built first? This isn't first grade logic here. The slurry wall was completeld first on the southern side and the northern end (Tower 2) was used to transport dump trucks in and out of the site. Does it still seem backwards to you?

Oh yea, there is still a PATH tracks running tourgh the Freedom Tower Foundations. It is the only reason it is taking longer. Just look jhust north of the core, you'll see a structure, udner which the PATH trains curl around back to New Jersey.

[Daquan13]

^^How is it backward? I don't see your logic, just because one building is numbered lower than another it should be built first? This isn't first grade logic here. The slurry wall was completeld first on the southern side and the northern end (Tower 2) was used to transport dump trucks in and out of the site. Does it still seem backwards to you?

Oh yea, there is still a PATH tracks running tourgh the Freedom Tower Foundations. It is the only reason it is taking longer. Just look jhust north of the core, you'll see a structure, udner which the PATH trains curl around back to New Jersey.



For months everyone, or at least almost everyone, was lead to believe that Tower 2 would be the next one started after the Freedom Tower. The slurry wall should have been done in THAT spot first.

Since T2 is the 2nd tallest structure on the land, to me, it seemed only fitting to get that one going so that it would be the next neighoring tower standing next to the Freedom Tower.

You've got your wires crossed a bit on the PATH tracks. I never once said that the tracks aren't running through the Freedom Tower's infrastucture.

Two years back, I was one of the first ones to post an article stating that the tracks in that area would be slightly moved over to allow the holes in the bedrock to be made so that the foundation's concrete columns can be put into the bedrock for the tower.

And that the PATH service was closing on weekends so that this work can be done. This was about 1-1/2 months before the tower's construction was officiated by Silverstein. And I already know about the PATH tracks going behind or through the FT's foundation and out to New Jersey. You're not telling me anything new.

And since the slurry wall hasn't been put in on that spot yet, how on earth can they begin constr. on the other towers first? I thought that the whole half of Ground Zero on that side had to be completely sealed off from any water coming from the rivers before any of the towers could be started on that side.

[philvia]

i think you're making a big deal out of nothing Daquan13 :p

anyways, i leave in almost 12 hours for NYC! :o i'm so excited! :D i will try to get pics of ground zero construction and post it on here

[Daquan13]

Those are my thoughts.

I'm entitled to my own opinion, just as you're entitled to yours.

[WhipperSnapper]

where is the fifth tower planned? inbetween one and two?

[Daquan13]

Where the DBB is now.

The building that had started being dismantled, but was stopped.

[supertall76]

Ok I'm new to these boards and I hope I don't sound too negative with this post but I'm pretty disappointed with the Freedom Tower all the way around. Maybe it's not the Freedom Tower itself. I like the design and think its quite handsome. I like the idea of it being a symbolic 1776 feet tall. yada yada.

Maybe its the american blood in me, but I think a good way to fight terrorism is to show the terrorists who #1 is. They knocked down two of our tallest landmarks. The largest attack on our country since Pearl Harbor (I believe). This served as a catalyst for our operations in Iraq, Afghanistan etc. It sent our country into an economic downturn and rattled the nerves of americans across the country.

As much as I like the idea of the tower being 1776 ft, it takes a mast (spire) to get that high! The roof is only 1368 ft- small change by todays standards. Personally I would have liked to show the terrorists that when they knock down the WTC, we will simply build the tallest skyscraper in the world in its place.... and we'll erect it faster than anyone too. We are the USA. I hope that doesnt sound too imperial but heck just look at the drawings of the freedom tower next to other supertall builidings around the world. It doesn't stand out as anything special! You put the Freedom Tower in Dubai and its just another building.

Those are just really my feelings speaking. Again, I actually like the Freedom Tower and think Tower 2 is even more handsome. I just would have liked to see more from the Freedom Tower. When the Empire St Bldg was erected it held the #1 ranking for forty years. Now that is impressive! The Freedom Tower? Just another cool tall building.

[NYguy]

Isn't or wasn't Tower 2 supposed to be the next one started after the Freedom Tower?

A few years back, in the original planning. But that was changed long ago. Tower 2 won't begin until June.

[NYguy]

And since the slurry wall hasn't been put in on that spot yet, how on earth can they begin constr. on the other towers first? I thought that the whole half of Ground Zero on that side had to be completely sealed off from any water coming from the rivers before any of the towers could be started on that side.

Those towers have their own threads. A little reading will show what's been going on there.

[CoolCzech]

Farewell to ‘Freedom’ for a While
By David W. Dunlap
nytimes.com

The “Freedom Tower” column as it appeared last week, surrounded by the plywood form into which concrete will be poured, encasing and protecting the steel. )

The blue “Freedom Tower” legend on the very first column to rise there, visible for the last 14 months on the column’s wide flanges, is covered in plywood forms. It will soon be encased forever in concrete.
George E. Pataki presided over the column-setting ceremony on Dec. 19, 2006, in his final days as governor of New York.
After learning last week that the lettering was now completely obscured, meaning that construction was advancing, Mr. Pataki said, “It is another milestone that continues what I knew would be the case — for all the difficulties, for all the naysayers, the brilliant master plan for downtown would move forward.”
The disappearance of the name “Freedom Tower,” which was Governor Pataki’s coinage, sometimes seems to be more than just a byproduct of construction. The building is increasingly referred to in official documents as 1 World Trade Center.

The “Freedom Tower” column as it appeared on Dec. 19, exactly a year after it had been set in place, when “Freedom” was still visible. “I think the symbolic nature of ‘Freedom Tower’ is meaningful,” Mr. Pataki said on Friday, “but New Yorkers have a way of using, at the end of the day, what they think works best.” (After all, where do you see Sixth Avenue called by its official name, the Avenue of the Americas, except on street signs, corporate letterheads, real estate advertisements and in The New York Times?)
But then Mr. Pataki, whose office was once in the south tower, thought about the matter a bit more and added a personal note.
“One World Trade Center, on one hand, evokes pride in the sense that the trade center is back,” he said. “On the other hand, we’re not going to replace what was there. We’re going to build beyond what was there.
“It is a little troubling to me that again there is a 1 World Trade Center, because a lot of great people and a lot of true heroes died in 1 World Trade Center,” Mr. Pataki said. “I think that name should be reserved, for those who did die on that horrible day.”

[Daquan13]

I'd like to know what they meant when they said "For a while".

[37TimPPG]

I'd like to know what they meant when they said "For a while".

It's the New York Times! They're probably just trying TRYING to stir up some controversy?:shrug:

[Daquan13]

Yeah, it almost seems as though they might be predicting another 09-11-style attack somday!