Silverstein Properties Unveils The Sixteen-Acre WTC Construction Site To Media Eyes

Lower Manhattan, August 24, 2011 - My first recollection of Larry Silverstein was right after the destruction of 9-11 where nearly 3,000 people died and hearing that he was going to build his towers at Ground Zero amidst negative comments from other developers, economists and urban scientists. On August 24, 2011, I saw the vindication of Mr. Silverstein’s dream.

Nearly ten years after the destruction caused by a terrorist attack, it is called The World Trade Center and not Ground Zero. Five towers arise instead of rubble on the ground. Eighteen days before the tenth anniversary, the new National September 11 Memorial and Museum is surrounded by the 30-foot high memorial waterfalls, trees, a transportation center and new skyscrapers. The 16 acre site is half memorial, half new construction. The memorial falls and pools of water are located where the footprints of the Twin Towers once stood. The plaza is filled with 400 trees. The aerial view of the current 16-acre site compared to the destruction of almost 10 years ago is a stunning view that can move you to tears.

As the press conference began, Glenn Schuck, President of the New York Press Club that hosted of the event, made his first introduction - Larry Silverstein. Mr. Silverstein proudly stated his resolve to rebuild was a success and Lower Manhattan is reborn by stating that, "Today for the first time since 9/11, every part of the World Trade Center is under construction. You have to have enormous respect for what's going on here.” He later added, “Looking at this area now, it's hard to remember that many were concerned that downtown was finished. You should never bet against New York. This town always comes back bigger and better."

Joseph Daniels, president of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, was clearly proud of the accomplishments being shown this day. "I remember walking toward the pools with no idea what the sound would be like. With 52,000 gallons of water cycling through the pools every minute, I worried that the effect would be too loud, that it would take away from the peace of the memorial. But the falls are just what you would hope. They create a beautiful whisper, a sound envelope that drowns out the noise of the city." He added that the names will not be in alphabetical order, but grouped so friends, co-workers for example will be together on the wall of the memorial. Mr. Daniels further remarked that, “…We wanted to bring together voices that were involved in what happened here. Construction workers, first responders, family members, just really telling the country that we’re opening, that they should come down and visit, that this is America’s memorial to what happened.” The 1993 attack victims are also recognized together as are 2001 first responders, plane and Pentagon victims respectively.

The different building constructions will be completed at different times in a manner that resembles a cascading timeline effect. The memorial will open to the public the day after the ceremony of September 11, 2011; the museum on September a year later; 4 WTC (designed for 72 floors is now 48 floors high) will open in 2013; One World Trade is already 80 stories high; 2 and 3 WTC foundations are up to street level from 80 feet below.

According to Mr. Silverstein, "I expect these buildings to be impregnable (earthquake proof),” and later added that they, “…will be a model of energy efficiency. The greenest, most high tech buildings – that’s a winning combination.”

In my estimation, with the rebuilding of the site from the destruction of Ground Zero into a working World Trade Center site is quite literally like the rising of a Phoenix out of the ashes.