NYdailynews.com
Pedestals may stand-in for skyscrapers at new World Trade Center
BY DOUG FEIDEN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Thursday, January 29th 2009, 4:36 PM
A pair of gigantic space-holding pedestals could appear at Ground Zero as temporary stand-ins for two of the site's long-planned signature skyscrapers, officials disclosed Thursday.
The broad-shouldered pedestals - facing each other along Church Street - could possibly house world-class retail shops if officials delayed additional construction during the economic downturn.
Each could be engineered to permit later construction of the immense towers planned by World Trade Center developer Larry Silverstein for the 16-acre site.
"The last thing the Port Authority will do is to leave holes and pits in the ground in downtown," said Chris Ward, executive director of the Port Authority.
"To do that, we will either build pedestals which will allow some form of retail options and permit long-term subsequent construction."
The pedestals are essentially handsome and ultra-expensive stumps for the future buildings. They could serve as a stop-gap measure until the hobbled economy recovers and private construction financing becomes available again for the twin mega-projects.
At stake is the future of two Silverstein buildings: Tower 2, slated to be taller than the Empire State Building, and Tower 3, another iconic design expected to reshape the downtown skyline.
Foundation work for Tower 4, the future corporate home of the Port Authority and possibly some city agencies, would not be affected.
The possible new approach _ referred to by officials variously as a pod, a podium, a pedestal or a stump _ surfaced after a public hearing on Lower Manhattan redevelopment.
Ward revealed the possibility during a meeting with reporters after testifying. It was unclear how tall the twin pedestals might stand, and what type of retailers they might attract.
Ward noted that the nearby Sept. 11 memorial is expected to draw 5 million annual visitors, making the site retail-friendly.
Silverstein - asked by the Daily News about Ward's comments - suggested building retail separately and then raising the towers would not work.
"It's almost impossible to get quality retail down below while you're building massive towers up above," he noted, broaching the question of stores operating at the bottom of a construction site.
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