September 8th - September 12th, 2008

Building Codes May Be Rolled Back

September 8 – Building codes that were implemented after 9/11 to improve safety in skyscrapers might be rolled back. The New York Times says the General Services Administration and some of the nation’s biggest landlords say fireproofing and stairwell requirements alone could cost real estate developers more than $10 million for a 42-story building as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in lost revenue because of decreased floor space.

130 Liberty Street Workers Arrested

September 9 – Three employees of LVI Environmental Services, one of the companies working at the former Deutsche Bank building, were arrested on Friday on charges of driving while intoxicated and drinking in public. The Daily News reports the arrests are the results of a FDNY investigation into drinking in the building. The FDNY says the three are not suspected of drinking and smoking in the building.

FDNY Investigates 130 Liberty Street Workers

September 9 – Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scopetta says “there are many potential culprits” of smoking and drinking inside the 130 Liberty Street building. He told The Daily News, “I just found it astonishing” that inspectors found cigarette butts and beer cans inside the building where two firefighters died in a blaze started by a cigarette. “It’s total contempt for the regulations there.” Fire marshals have interviewed 470 workers so far with approximately 40 more to go. The FDNY is considering increasing its presence in the building.

Vesey Street Walkway to Close

September 9 – The City Department of Transportation is working on plans to close Vesey Street possibly for several years to accommodate the construction of World Trade Center Tower 2. At a Community Board 1 meeting Monday night, Councilman Alan Gerson said he wasn’t sure if Vesey would have to be closed for five years. The Port Authority said it will add new signage and extend curbs to expand the width of sidewalks on Barclay and Church Streets to accommodate the nearly 50,000 commuters who use the PATH station.

NYCLU Wants Police Department WTC Security Plan

September 9 – The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) is suing the NYPD to get more information about the department’s security plan for Lower Manhattan. The plan includes heavily armed officers, closed-circuit TV cameras, license-plate readers, and explosives-detection systems. The NYCLU says the NYPD has refused to disclose details; the NYPD says the department has released as much information as it could without compromising its plans.

9/11 Pentagon Memorial Opens

September 9 – The Pentagon Memorial opened on 9/11 on the site where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed, killing 184 people. The memorial is built on an angle parallel to the plane’s path and is made of 184 benches, each bearing a victim’s name.

9/11 Memorial Launches Regional Education Program

September 9 – The National September 11 Memorial and Museum launched an educational program to be used in schools in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania during the 9/11 anniversary remembrances. A spokeswoman told amNY that teaching the story of 9/11 and its courage, compassion, and unprecedented civic responses will translate well beyond the classroom.

Elected Officials Criticize HHS 9/11 Health Care Delay

September 9 – Congressman Jerrold Nadler and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney are criticizing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to failing to reach out to people who are eligible for a new September 11th health care program. According to The New York Sun, the program was set to launch in July; now it’s been moved back to September. HHS had no comment.

Mayor Suggests Dismantling the LMDC

September 10 – Mayor Michael Bloomberg is calling for the dismantling of the LMDC. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, the mayor said eliminating another layer of bureaucracy would help speed the pace of construction. He said the rebuilding progress is “frustratingly slow, owing in large part to a multilayered governance structure that has undermined accountability from the get-go.” Bloomberg said the decontamination and deconstruction of the 130 Liberty Street building should be turned over to the Construction Command Center and the city will handle the role of distributing any outstanding community-development funds. The mayor called for the design of the Calatrava PATH station to be scaled back so the National 9/11 Memorial can built without delay by the 10th anniversary in 2011.

In response, the Port Authority said it is deciding on tough issues and getting every project on the site completed as quickly as possible. According to The New York Times, the Port is unlikely to disband the LMDC. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver came to the LMDC’s defense, saying, “It’s the one agency that coordinates the work between the state, city and federal agencies in order to get things done downtown. Why switch horses in the middle of the race?” In a statement, Governor Paterson said he shares a sense of disappointment and frustration at the unacceptable pace of World Trade Center rebuilding.

Meanwhile, Community Board 1 Chairperson Julie Menin said, “The LMCCC has a lot of institutional knowledge and a lot of familiarity with the building. They could really hit the ground running.”

Memorial Pavilion Design Details Unveiled

September 10 – The latest designs for the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum pavilion was unveiled. The plan calls for a 47,500-square-foot pavilion to welcome visitors and house two 80-foot-tall trident-shaped columns from the twin towers. The pavilion will serve as a gateway to the memorial plaza and museum space, which is primarily underground. Built on the east side of the plaza, it will be a glass-and-steel structure with a sloping roof, and include a private room for victims’ families. The first-floor atrium will allow visitors to see down into the museum, where relics of the original World Trade Center will be displayed.

9/11 Anniversary Visits into WTC Site to End

September 10 – The Port Authority said the seventh anniversary of 9/11 will probably be the last time the families will be allowed to descend into the World Trade Center “pit” because construction will overtake the site.

Report Shows Wide-Ranging Health Affects from 9/11

September 11 – A new study of the health effects of 9/11 suggests that up to 70,000 people developed post-traumatic stress disorder. The World Trade Center Health Registry is tracking the health of more than 70,000 people for up to 20 years. The report says as many as 400,000 people were exposed to the disaster and up to 12,600 may have asthma as a result.

Downtown Population Booms

September 11 – A new study conducted by Community Board 1 shows the population downtown has grown 83 percent since 9/11. The survey shows that by 2013, when most of the new buildings are complete, the downtown population will reach 65,000 -- up from 34,420 in 2000.

Fiterman Hall Demolition Delays Criticized

September 12 – This week brought yet another round in the battle between state and city versus CUNY officials over the demolition of Fiterman Hall. Deputy Mayor Robert Lieber told The Downtown Express, “There’s plenty of money to take the building down. There’s no reason that the building is not coming down.” Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said the city needs to pay its share to rebuild Fiterman Hall, but that’s no reason for CUNY to delay demolition. CUNY is currently decontaminating the building and through a spokesman said their focus is to “work closely with the city and state to expedite this stage of the project and beyond.”

Facade Makeovers Headed to Fulton Street

September 12 – The city is launching a major storefront-improvement program for Fulton Street businesses. According to The Downtown Express, eligible owners can apply for up to $275,000 in improvements through the LMDC. The storefront façade program is an attempt to make Fulton Street more appealing to encourage more pedestrian traffic, even as roadway reconstruction continues.