November 2nd - November 6th, 2009

Thousands Celebrate Arrival of New USS New York

November 2 – The Navy’s new $1 billion amphibious transport ship, made of steel from the WTC site, sailed into the Hudson River today. It was greeted with a 21 gun salute near Ground Zero; the 684 foot long ship will be docked near the Intrepid until November 12. Approximately 7.5 tons of steel from Ground Zero was used to build the USS New York. The ship will be commissioned on November 8.

Arrest Made in the Fire at Memorial Park

November 2 –  26 year old Brian Schroeder is expected to be charged with arson in a fire in the chapel behind the City Medical Examiner’s office, known as Memorial Park, because it houses remains of the victims of 9-11. The fire broke out Saturday morning in the temporary structure, located along the FDR drive between 29^th and 30^th streets. The remains weren’t damaged, but  candles and mementos left by the victim’s families were stolen or burned. The remains will eventually be moved to a memorial at Ground Zero. Police say they do not have a motive for the crime. The suspect is a graduate of Harvard Law School.

Demolition of the Deutsche Bank Building is Expected to Resume

November 3 – A demolition permit has been issued to Bovis Lend Lease to recommence the work at 130 Liberty Street. The company says it expects to be back on the job later this week. According to The Daily News, the original deconstruction date was 2005 and has been pushed back at least five times as the cost has skyrocketed from $45 million to $274 million. The LMDC did not say when the work would be finished: the Port Authority says it was told by the LMDC that the building would be gone by September 2010.

WTC 1 Steel Columns in Place

WTC 1 Steel Columns in Place

November 3 –Over the weekend, a milestone was reached at the WTC site. Curbed.com is reporting that the last of the 24 jumbo steel columns that form the perimeter of the building have been installed. The columns are 60 feet tall. The Port Authority says this means the erection of the tower steel can continue and the first three floors of the skyscraper can be built out.

Study Suggests Health Problems for WTC First Responders

November 3 –Up to 8% of the people who worked on ‘the pile’ after 9-11 have reported they have asthma; that compares to 4% of the general population, according to a story in The Daily News.