Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 15:21:17 -0400 (EDT) From: Louis Epstein Subject: WTC:Design and Political Notes,and more An Associated Press story from yesterday indicates more openness on design in certain ways. (Eli Attia's petition for an open design competition has now crossed the 10,000-signature mark). -=-=-=-=- Officials Open WTC Design Process By KAREN MATTHEWS Associated Press Writer NEW YORK -- Stung by criticism of early plans to redevelop the World Trade Center, project officials on Wednesday invited architects worldwide to submit fresh designs. They also said the final design won't be chosen until at least next spring. "We are looking for excitement, creativity, energy," said Roland Betts, a board member of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., the city-state agency charged with the project. Betts acknowledged that the public considered the six proposals released last month "mundane, boring, pedestrian." But he said some popular components -- such as a promenade from the trade center to Battery Park, a skyline element to echo the lost towers and a preference for keeping the "footprints" of the towers free from development -- would be incorporated into the new designs. "I think in principle it's a good idea to open up and extend the process because no one has a monopoly on good design," said Richard Anderson, president of the New York Building Congress, an association of construction professionals. The development board and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the land, had originally said they would pick three plans by the end of September and narrow them to one by the end of the year. The development corporation said it would choose up to five design teams to prepare new plans. Three proposals will be chosen by the end of the year. "We're looking for the best ideas, wherever they can be found," said Alexander Garvin, vice president of planning, design and development for the development corporation. Betts said a final plan would be chosen in February or March. The original plans included a memorial to the 2,800 victims, a transportation hub and 11 million square feet of office space plus a mall and hotel. The Port Authority has said those features were dictated by the terms of its lease with developer Larry Silverstein to replace space lost in the collapsed towers. But control of the 16-acre trade center site is now in flux, and many unknown factors will affect what is built there. The Port Authority is negotiating with the city over possibly trading the 16 acres for Kennedy and La Guardia airports. The Port Authority, which was not represented at Wednesday's news conference, is also considering other options that would allow for less office space at the site. -=-=-=-=- Not sure why Betts is taking a lead on these issues.Other stories are indicating that they want a memorial design in place by September 2003. Certainly they are still trying to spin public input into what they want to here...the closing polls in the online-LTTC went heavily in favor of *functional* tall towers,this does not translate into support for the ornamental "skyline element" in the earlier plans. (I note that building on the footprints was *never* the subject of a poll during Online-LTTC,even though the issue was discussed in the groups). The "Promenade to Battery Park" option of course tears down the homes of some local residents who have been rather vocal in denouncing the idea. Last night I was at a political event and had a chance to speak to congressional candidate Janine Selendy,lieutenant-governor candidate Dennis Mehiel,and Mehiel's upstate coordinator(also well interfaced with the McCall gubernatorial campaign at this point). Selendy is interested in open space,green development,etc...she had not heard of the issue of tower size at the WTC site before,but seemed interested in my points...I told her how fewer taller towers would leave more open space.She said having someplace with benches and a fountain and so forth was valuable,and I reminded her that there had been a plaza like that in the old WTC plan,and all the new plans ran a street right through that part of the site. I asked Mehiel if a new governor could toss out all of Pataki's appointees now bungling the WTC job,he wasn't sure...but assured me that a new governor could and would dump Gargano(chairman of the Empire State Development Corporation--which is parent of the Lower Manhattan--and vice chairman of the Port Authority).He indicated he expected site plans would follow from the memorial plans,but I reminded him that the height of the office buildings on the site would determine the context of the memorial. The upstate campaign coordinator,who I spoke to after the others left, is a pro-rebuilder!...he told me he had sent in a design plan of his own,for a taller-than-the-Twins scaled up Flatiron Building with 60 occupied floors and a top observation deck,flanked by two other towers. McCall and his primary opponent Andrew Cuomo will be in a debate on August 18th on WCBS Radio and questions for them are welcomed at cbsnewyork@hotmail.com...let's turn the governor's race into competition to promise the tallest WTC towers and watch Pataki squirm! I hope we'll have more news on rally planning soon. See you on the 111th floor on 9-11-11! -=-=- The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again, at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.