Fiterman Hall

CUNY leadership and two members of the City Council today called on the Bloomberg administration to pony up more money to demolish and redevelop Fiterman Hall, one of two remaining buildings awaiting deconstruction after being damaged by the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The comments came at a hearing held by Councilmen Alan Gerson and Charles Barron on the Borough of Manhattan Community College’s (BMCC)--a division of CUNY-- Fiterman Hall, a building student union representative Horace Henry called the last “open sore that is yet to be healed.”

The fist-pounding, uproarious 200-plus crowd that overflowed the main floor and gushed into the mezzanine of Council Chambers—unusual for a Friday afternoon Council hearing in the summer, to say the least— was a testament to the fervor that has come to accompany this almost seven-year project.  read more »

A small story with broad implications: the other shrouded building at Ground Zero, CUNY's Fiterman Hall, won't be torn down anytime soon. The Daily News reported over the long weekend that the state Dormitory Authority rejected all bids for its demolition because they did not fully address environmental issues. Silverstein Properties has blamed the Barclay Street eyesore for slow renting at 7 World Trade Center, which is across the street. -Matthew Schuerman