Freedom Tower, Again Uncertain
"The agreement contemplates that we will go between now and September and we will decide whether or not we have the kind of leases for that building which make it a financially viable project," Coscia said.
Coscia did not specify what would happen if those leases were not signed. "It is possible at that stage we would rethink the project," he said, when asked whether the tower would be scaled back. A Port Authority official told The Real Estate later that the tower would be built--the question was whether it would attain its 1,776-foot height.
Coscia also said that the construction underway that would bring the tower up to grade should continue.
None of the publicity surrounding the April's agreement with Silverstein Properties even hinted that securing 1 million square feet in leases from government entities would be a problem. Coscia, while saying that negotiating with the federal government is slow, said, "We are pleased with the progress to date and I am optimistic that by September we will have leases."
Optimistic? If this is something you need to be optimistic about, how do things look if you are realistic?
-Matthew Schuerman
Bullshit. Anything shorter than the twin towers there is a complete waste of time and effort.
There is no excuse for building on any lesser scale than what was destroyed...the Port Authority wasn't timidly dependent on the short-term market when they built the Twin Towers and that alone was what made them big enough to be icons.
The FT is too small,not too large!
New Twin Towers are the only things that belong there are. Forget Rotting Rudy, forget the LOST FREEDOM pile. PEOPLE WOULD RUN TO REBUILT TWIN TOWERS, Nobody would work in a symbol of FEAR and FAILURE, but people who hate New York, the country, and want to kill them, like Rudy, Pataki, Binladin, Bloomberg.
The fact that they have not been rebuilt as they should be after five years is proof that our government and politicians knew 9/11 would happen, and made sure it did. The longer those towers are gone the more obvious it is. The Twin Towers belong there, not a poor excuse for a Jello mold.
The fact is the World Trade Towers existed. They were a symbol of the power of this country. Build them back like they were. Let them again stand proud and tell the world...Welcome to America, Home of the Brave and the free. Anything less than the original is insult.
Who can ever forget the beauty of the silver towers shining against a deep blue sky
The freedom tower project will NEVER work no matter how much re-designing and changing is done to it. And building some weak little structure is NOT the answer. WAKE UP PATAKI!!! NOBODY WANTS YOUR STUPID TOWER! Until ground zero is restored with NEW TWIN TOWERS of the same scale, there'l be no closure to this issue that's been going on for the last 4 years.
I am not too surprised to hear abou the Freedom Tower being up in the air again. It's not like this the first time I have heard this. The Twin Towers are what deserve to be rebuilt on the WTC site, not the Freedom Tower. If it is cancelled by Septmber, then I say use the plan by Herbert Belton and Kenneth Gardner, which calls for rebuilt Twin Towers, to be built there instead. I am sure that the will get a number of tennants unlike the still-vacant Freedom Tower. Rebuilding the Twin Towers is what the people want, not our soon to be departing Governor George Pataki.
Freedom Tower is too small, not too large. An 80-odd floor building with the office space of a garden variety building is not good enough for the new WTC of the greatest city in the world. No matter if it's got a huge antenna on top. The Twin Towers must be replaced with buildings at least as tall and large. So politicians are fine wasting tax money on all kinds of adventures and logrolling, but if it comes to rebuilding the symbols of America, they won't do it if they believe it isn't short term profitable. Sell the WTC to The Donald, already.
The Freedom Tower? The world
The terrorists have been dealt a severe blow. Their network is now crumbling. It is now safe for our country to be Brave & Bold once again. Replace the Twins! Anything less is cowardly.
Put up anything else but the original towers or bigger, and we will be giving the impression to these vermin that we lack the confidence. Lets show them who we are. Dump this jello mold and put up something for the world to see.
the symbolism of strength, power, and progress is what the towers represented...NYC being the gateway to many people entering america. our resolve should be to build something architecturally unique, like freedom tower, but the presence of twin towers seems to be the only real, and proper way to restore nyc's skyline and the hope of so many people.
scrap that god dam awful freedom tower and rebuild the origional twin towers along with bldg 3,4,5,6 and the skyline will be restored
If you want the towers rebuilt tell Spitzer now.
Rebuild the twin towers taller or the same way as the old ones. It is the only way to heal New York. Don't build that piece of shit "freedom tower." Plus it has such a wimpy name. If they are, we lost and we are building a trophy for the terrorists.
By now, two new Towers, or at least one of them, should have gone up. This is a game of politics and usual corruption we put up with everyday. Our officials can't get it right, it's a shame. Five years, and not one building yet?! Just get it done and over with: REBUILD THE TWIN TOWERS! They were the original buildings there and only way to restore our skyline. Get it over with, the sooner the better. Nobody likes the FT, it's not even close to a Tower. Rebuild the Twin Towers, it's what everyone wants to see!
It's coming up to 8 years since 9-11-2001 and I still can't believe the Twin Towers are gone but what I can't believe even more is how the whole thing has been handled since that day. I would hope with all these delays someone would suddenly realize what should have already been built to truly restore the Manhattan skyline. Seeing the Twin Towers stand again would do just that, restore faith in America and show the world her unbreakable resolve in the face of crisis.
If that architectural monstrosity is built in the Twin Towers' place it will be a victory to religious terrorism, political corruption and a unerasable blemish on a once legendary city and a kick in the teeth to those who love New York City and America as well as everything she stands for.