Frank Sciame

You thought no one could build a memorial in this town for less than half a billion dollars? Oh, yeah? Well, the much-anticipated report by builder Frank Sciame just went up on the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's website. It suggests that embarrassingly simple changes can shave off $285.1 million in construction costs for the World Trade Center Memorial, like combining the entrance to the memorial with the one for the Snohetta-designed visitor's center. The waterfalls will stay, as will "vast museum space below-grade," and the names of victims will move upstairs. It seems like he is proposing no big slashes and burns but we will wait to study the details to say that for sure.

Hey, if you don't like it, there is something you can do about it. See the website for submitting comments. (Deadline: June 27.)  read more »

Press release after jump.

--Matthew Schuerman

Oh, what joys they have to look forward to! Governor Pataki is reappointing Kevin Rampe to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, this time as chairman (he was the president for two years until last spring), while builder Frank Sciame has been put in charge of a "Memorial and Master Plan Design Committee" and is apparently supposed to break the backs of the architects and bureaucrats down there.

The way the press release describes that task suggests how accurate Joe Hagan's description of thin men in black jackets and square glasses arguing with one another really is:

Sciame will convene the Memorial and Master Plan Design Committee of Michael Arad, Peter Walker, Max Bond and Daniel Libeskind and work in coordination with the LMDC, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the WTC Memorial Foundation to ensure the memorial is brought in line with the $500 million budget. The Governor and Mayor have set the end of June as the deadline for resolution.

Enjoy your stay, fellas!

-Matthew Schuerman