13 YEARS AFTER THE 9/11 ATTACKS, WORLD TRADE CENTER CONSTRUCTION STILL NOT COMPLETE
As we remember the terrorist attacks from September 11, 2001 and take a moment of silence in respect for those who lost their lives, I was curious to see how the World Trade Center construction is going. 13 years is a long time and the plans to rebuild the towers, prepare a memorial, and build a museum were ambitious. Not to mention the fact that planners, architects, and workers had to do this in the middle of Manhattan.
To put it succinctly, it’s not done yet. Unfortunately, the reconstruction process has been plagued by delays. It’s some 8 years overdue from the original 2006 estimate and almost $2 billion over budget. The good news is that they are getting close. In fact, fences keeping people away from the site have just recently been removed. One World Trade Center, christened “Freedom Tower” by some, has some of its largest tenants moving in and should be fully open next year. It is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. At over 1/3 of a mile high, it will be the tallest in the United States.
Two, Three, and Four World Trade Center are owned by developer Larry Silverstein. The 72 floor Four World Trade Center is open and signing up lessees for office space, though one source reported that over a third of that space is still available. Three WTC is 80 stories tall and was delayed for several months before getting back on track. It is currently slated to open early 2018. The 88 story 2 WTC is on indefinite hold while Mr. Silverstein tries to arrange financing for its construction.
The museum is complete and opened back in May. This means that family members will be able to visit the museum as part of the commemoration for the very first time. The memorial was open in time for the 10 year commemoration back in 2011.
So the United States and Manhattan continue to bear the burden of that terrible day. It will still be years until the final World Trade Center construction is complete. Maybe then the city will be able to return to a sense of normalcy and move forward. Even then, the scars will continue to haunt all of us that were watching the events unfold in 2001.
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