NYC-WTC_000152373

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

Rebuild downtown [ from bottom up n Friday, this page outlined a proposal to make downtown I I whole again. We railed for a blue-chip commission of civic and V_-r business leaders to draft a plan for rebuilding, which would be implemented by a special recovery and reconstruction authority. There is no one better to lead that authority than Mayor Giuliani; put him in charge of a Marshall Plan-like campaign to reclaim downtown. It is imperative to move forward decisively with the reclamation of the World Trade Center site — and to focus all available resources on creating a 21st century infrastructure to drive our 21st century econo­ my. The capital of capital must rise anew on the shattered street grid of lower Manhattan. And quickly. The risks and costs of this campaign should be spread throughout the nation — because the nation can afford it, and the city alone can­ not. Sept. 11 saw an attack on all America, not just New York. But it is New York that bears the deepest scars — emotionally, physically, fi­ nancially. Washington must fulfill its moral and fisc^ obligation to safeguard the city through additional aid and loan guarantees. New York must not be forced to cut police, fire, sanitation or educational services as tax revenues decline. As for the actual reconstruction, speed will be essential. Planning and design should be well under way as the rubble is carted off. And red tape — like the land-review process, environmental reviews and nuisance lawsuits — must be kept to a minimum. It can be done. The Empire State Building went from back-of-the- envelope sketch in 1930 to ribbon-cutting in 1931. The city’s first sub­ way was built between 1900 and 1904. More recently, the world’s busi­ est freeway was reopened three months after being destroyed in Cali­ fornia’s 1994 Northridge earthquake. We must embrace that spirit David Rockefeller, the leader of down­ town’s revival 40 years ago, says, “We have to find again the power and will.to.moyeto implementationquiddy and decisively.” And with billions in federal emergency aid, the resources are there. T eading designers worldwide are e^er to draw the blueprints to re- J-J place the WTC. How many buildings eventually will rise, and in what configuration, can best be determined throu^ an accelerated competitive process. In addition, a memorial to the dead, perhaps uti­ lizing twisted shards from the twin towers, should grace the site. But the best memorial would be to clear the steel and concrete and re-create a thriving business center. And that means more than mere­ ly replacing what has been destroyed. New office space should be complemented with restored and expanded transportation links to make downtown attractive to new businesses. The recontruction au­ thority, working with the Port Authority and the Metropolitan Trans­ portation Authority, should tap federal and state funds to; ■ Shore up the N and R Broadway line subway tunnel, now buried im- der tons of debris. And rebuild, as quickly as possible, the collapsed turmel between the Cortlandt St. and Rector St stations on tire No. 1 line. The MTA says the work will take more than two years. What are they digging with, spoons? ■ Reconstruct the $850 million PATH train station directly under the towers and replace the shattered underground wall that keeps the Hudson River out. PATH carried more than 80,000 riders a day into the Financial District. ■ Enhance downtown feny service, rebuild an expanded ferry termi­ nal at Batte^ Park City and outfit la^er ferries and a bigger fleet. This also is a chance to realize visionary projects. The city should: ■ Build the Second Ave. subway from 125th St. to the Battery. This crucial north-south artery would make downtown access convenient for thousands and ease the crush on the Lexington Ave. line. ■ Run Metro-North trains south past Grand Central into downtown to create a seamless trip from Westchester and Connecticut. A new sta­ tion could be built, perhaps, as one developer suggests, under the glass-roofed Wmter Garden in the World Financial Center. ■ Extend the Long Island Rail Road from Brooklyn’s Flatbush termi­ nal under the East River so riders can go straight downtown. ■ To drastically reduce truck traffic, build a i^-freight tunnel fi-om 00 H Brcxiklyn to Staten Island or New Jers^. The founding mission of the PA in 1921, this tunnel would bcx)st the share of goods that arrive here by train to 35% — from only 2.5% tcxiay. NG Wth the city opened up for major surgery, our c±-cxilatory system — conununirations — also should be upgraded. Whole areas south of Chambers St. can be rewired with fiber-optic cables to support finan­ q-aq-Of cial services companies, high-tech and others that need huge band­ width. Make the Financial District a “smart neighborhcxxl.’’ This is not a wish list. It is a to-do list All of the above can be real­ ized. New capacity. New transit services. New technology. In short, a new dpwntown rising like a phoenix from fire ashes.

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