WTC site plans move forward

Lisa Napoli Sep 22, 2006

TEXT OF STORY

SCOTT JAGOW: Five years after 9-11, New York is getting the World Trade Center site ready for rebuilding. Four skyscrapers are planned. One of them, the Freedom Tower, will be the world’s second-tallest building. Yesterday, a breakthrough in the development deal for this. More now from Lisa Napoli.


LISA NAPOLI: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has come to terms with developer Larry Silverstein. The port board gave Silverstein four and a half years to complete construction or lose his lease.

Steve Coleman of the Port Authority says there are provisions to make sure that happens.

STEVE COLEMAN: There’s very severe penalties for the Port Authority and Silverstein properties should either entity not meet its required deadlines.

But even if they build it, people may not come. Several state and federal agencies have agreed to relocate to the site, but Darcy Wells of the Public Employees Federation says there’s been an outcry.

DARCY WELLS:“Our members have been calling just since all this started coming out over the weekend and going on record saying they absolutely do not want to go back there, they don’t want to work in that building.”

Not everybody feels that way. This week investment firm Moody’s signed a lease to occupy 600-thousand square feet in one of the finished buildings.

In New York, I’m Lisa Napoli for Marketplace.

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