May 23rd - May 26th, 2011

No Facilities on Memorial Plaza

May 23 - When the World Trade Center Memorial opens for the 10th anniversary this year millions of visitors are expected to visit Lower Manhattan. However restrooms will not be available on the site, reported the NY Post. Memorial officials have said because visitors will be on a pre-scheduled timed ticket they will have ample time to prepare. Bathroom facilities will be provided in the museum when it opens in September 2012.

Chatham Square Project Canceled

May 23 - Following opposition from residents, business owners and politicians, the city has decided to use the money earmarked for the Chatham Square redevelopment on other projects, reported DNAinfo. The $30 million project was going to be delayed by up to five years as the Brooklyn Bridge project was already underway. That project frequently reroutes traffic over the Manhattan Bridge and into Chatham Square.

Stable is Only Site for WTC Post

May 24 - The Tribeca Trib reported that efforts to keep the NYPD horse stable downtown have failed. Community Board 1 was told by Police Inspector Michael Yanosik that while the decision wasnt final, that none of the alternatives they suggested were viewed as appropriate. The NYPD requires the stables to be converted into a temporary station for the 230 officers assigned to the World Trade Center site. The move is only temporary and NYPD officials have stated the horses will return as soon a permanent space is prepared, in roughly 18 months.

NYC Construction Employment Remains Low

May 24 - The quarterly report from the New York Building Congress for the first three months of 2011 showed employment for construction workers fell to its lowest level since 1998. The credit markets are still tight, and it remains difficult for developers to finance new construction, reported Commercial Observer. Construction employment has fallen 25 percent from it peak in the third quarter of 2008. At that time there were 136,000 workers employed in the city compared to 101,200 last quarter.

Conde Nast Signs WTC Tower Lease

May 25 - The board of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approved a $1.9 billion, 25-year lease with magazine publisher Conde Nast, reported The Wall Street Journal. The publisher will occupy more than one million square feet of the building, taking 21 floors. The tower is scheduled to be complete late 2013, with Conde Nast moving in in 2014.