| Project Updates |
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| 130 Liberty Street (former Deutsche Bank Building) |
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Summary | Daily Activities | Contact Info | FAQs | Links
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A stop-work order was lifted and abatement at 130 Liberty Street resumed on May 1, 2008 following several months of regulatory review and planning. Deconstruction will follow abatement.
Operations at 130 Liberty Street were halted after the August 18, 2007 fire; at the time the former 40-story tower had been deconstructed to the 26th floor.
For post-fire structural assessment, click here.
Air Monitoring
The LMDC has 12 ambient air monitoring locations, click here for results. Following the fire, in consultation with DEP, the LMDC administered an additional nine monitors at street-level locations until the building ws resealed on November 13, 2007. To view the locations, click here. For a summary of the air sampling results from those monitors, click here. The project at 130 Cedar Street also maintains a nearby air monitoring, click to view their results.
Locate this project on the Interactive Streetwork Map.
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Summary
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The building, formerly owned by Deutsche Bank, was severely damaged on September 11, 2001, by falling debris from the twin towers. The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) acquired the building in August 2004 and is overseeing its safe decontamination and deconstruction.
After years of insurance litigation, public hearings, environmental testing, and extensive coordination with regulatory agencies, the building's decontamination began in March 2006, with structural deconstruction beginning a year later. Once demolished, the vacant land parcel will be incorporated into the new World Trade Center development.
Some deconstruction elements of the building took place in phases. The preparatory work took place in early 2006 and involved the erection of scaffolding and elevator hoists around the exterior, the removal of existing netting around the building, and the installation of new netting.
Phase two began in mid-March 2006 and included partial interior abatement/decontamination such as environmental cleaning and removal of all interior surfaces and non-structural elements in the building.
The project's final phase, the actual floor-by-floor deconstruction, commenced in March 2007 but was suspended after the August 18, 2007 fire. It included removing the exterior curtain wall, roof, concrete deck, mechanical-equipment components, and structural steel. (Click here to learn more about this project in depth.)
Related Documents
For a complete list of documents visit the LMDC website.
Community Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
March 28, 2007 Community Advisory Comittee Meeting Minutes
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Daily Activities
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*The following information was last updated on June 19, 2008.
A stop work order was lifted on April 30, 2008, and preparations for decontamination continue. There are 19 floors remaining, and crews will work double shifts to expedite the project. Deconstruction will resume upon completion of abatement.
A fire inside 130 Liberty Street on August 18, 2007 suspended deconstruction work. Federal, state, and city regulators including the FDNY have inspected the structure, which was damaged from floors 13 through 18. Department of Buildings (DOB) engineers have determined that building’s structure remains intact and there is no risk of collapse.
The fire standpipe in the building was repaired on September 5, 2008, and additional fire safety improvements were implemented, including the restoration of the fire-safe stairway.
Air quality testing at the building continues, with 12 sampling sites in the building’s immediate vicinity operational. Additional monitors are active throughout Lower Manhattan. Air monitoring reports are available here; more information about air monitoring is available here, and on the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation’s website.
At the time of the fire, deconstruction of the former 40-story building was at the 26th floor. The search for potential human remains in the building concluded in early June 2007.
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Contact Info
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To learn more about the project contact Robin Forst, Director of Community Relations at the LMCCC at (212) 442-3726 or rforst@lmccc.nyc.gov; or the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation at (212) 587-9747.
In the event of an emergency involving the 130 Liberty Street Building, please call 911 or the LMDC at (212) 962-2300.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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When did the deconstruction start?
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The decontamination phase began in March 2006. The actual floor-by-floor structural deconstruction of the building and removal of the remaining building components including the facade, mechanicals, structural steel began in March 2007.
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How will the LMDC ensure that contaminants are not released from the building?
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The proposed deconstruction plan incorporates results and recommendations from the September 14, 2004, Initial Building Characterization Study Report. The plan addresses contaminants identified in the study and is designed to be
- Protective of the health and safety of the workers on this project and the neighboring community;
- Compliant with all applicable rules and regulations;
- Consistent with the findings of the “Initial Building Characterization Study Report” that was released for public comment in September 2004, and
- Consistent with current industry standard practices.
The “Phase IA” work activities (cleaning and asbestos abatement) came first and took place from the top of the building down. All necessary asbestos abatement was conducted concurrent with the dust-cleaning activities.
During Phase IA activities, the LMDC's contractors and subcontractors enclosed the work area and established negative air pressure to ensure that potential contaminants remained inside the building. Once negative air pressure was achieved, licensed abatement subcontractors performed limited “soft strip” to create an open work area, followed by the removal of Asbestos Containing Building Materials (ACBM). A thorough cleaning followed to remove fibers that may have been released during the abatement of ACBM as well as settled WTC dust.
Before decontamination work was performed, the stairwells, elevator shafts, and all other vertical connections between floors were sealed properly in order to prevent dust from reentering spaces/floors already cleaned and cleared. These vertical connections (stairwells and shafts) were be cleaned last, once all floors of the building had been cleaned.
After completion of Phase IA cleaning and abatement activities, a safe “buffer” zone was established to allow the “Phase IB” work activities, including soft stripping and interior gutting, to begin. There will always be a safe “buffer” zone between these activities to ensure that areas are properly cleaned before materials are removed. All work will be stopped in the event that excessive airborne fibers are detected outside the containment area, if a break is detected in the containment barriers, or if there is loss of negative air pressure. In this event, appropriate corrective action will be taken immediately.
Additionally, the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center has implement a neighborhood air monitoring program to monitor other construction activities throughout Lower Manhattan, including the deconstruction of 130 Liberty Street. The principal objectives of the program are to monitor dust levels for fugitive dusts and to determine when further investigatory and/or corrective actions are needed.
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How will the deconstruction activities affect residential areas?
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The LMDC and Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (LMCCC) will make every effort to minimize project impacts to the surrounding community. The deconstruction of the 130 Liberty Street building will be completed in compliance with the rules and regulations that govern all construction activities in New York City, including the Coordinated Construction Act of 2004. The LMCCC will also implement general construction controls and require that all contractors and subcontractors use ultra-low-sulfur fuel, thereby reducing the amount of air pollutants released.
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What measures or precautions will be taken to protect nearby residents during the deconstruction process?
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The LMDC and its contractors, who will perform the cleaning and deconstruction of the building, will take extensive measures to protect the health and safety of residents and workers. In addition to those measures discussed in response to other FAQs above, these measures include
- Construction of a plywood construction fence to restrict site access;
- Sidewalk closures and/or installation of overhead protection;
- 24/7 security guards on site (fire watch activities, general site security around the building perimeter, building access, etc.);
- External air monitoring, and
- Waste characterization.
The licensed on-site Construction Safety Officer will be responsible for ensuring that these protective measures are upheld and for implementing any corrective measures.
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Where can I read answers to other commonly asked questions about this building?
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The LMDC has posted answers to frequently asked questions about the building's removal on its website. Here you will find answers to questions regarding the building acquisition, environmental testing standards, air monitoring, contractor experience, timing, emergency procedures, community outreach efforts and more. You can also sign up to receive regular email updates about progress at the site.
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Click here for answers to commonly asked construction questions. |
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