June 7th - June 11th, 2010

Several WTC workers injured

June 7 - A welding operation at the WTC PATH station set off the fire suppression system. The gas from the system caused four PATH workers to suffer minor cuts and bruises, according to Metro.

NYPD Commissioner Kelly reiterates opposition to a 9/11 trial in NYC

June 7 - NYPD Commissioner Kelly reiterates his opposition to a 9/11 trial in NYC. Kelly, testifying at a City Council, said it would be politically impossible for the Obama administration to hold the trial in Lower Manhattan. Newsday reported that Kelly put the cost of a terror trial near $1 billion over five years. The White House has said it is studying its options, but wouldnt rule out Manhattan as a location.

Bank of America moves closer to a decision

June 7- Bank of America (BOA) moves closer to a decision on its Merrill Lynch operation in Lower Manhattan. Real Estate Weekly says BOA has issued an RFP, searching for a consultant to determine if it should move all its Merrill Lynch operations to midtown or leave some offices downtown. The outcome could have an impact on the entire office market in FiDi, as the firm currently occupies hundreds of thousands of square feet in Four and Two World Financial Center towers.

Daily News is still shopping for space in Lower Manhattan

June 7 - The Daily News is still shopping for space in Lower Manhattan. The Daily News is no longer interested in moving to the World Financial Center (WFC); it now has its eye on Four New York Plaza, according to Real Estate Weekly. The paper, which is currently housed on West 33^rd Street, has found that rents at Four New York Plaza are significantly lower than the WFC, according to the report.

1,000 protest the planned mosque near Ground Zero

June 7 - As many as 1,000 protest the planned mosque near Ground Zero. At the rally on Sunday afternoon, many carried American flags and said the proposed mosque is an insult to those who died on 9/11. Demonstrators also claimed it would be disrespectful and insensitive to place a mosque near where terrorists struck. Organizers vow to keep fighting against the project with more protests and lawsuits. Mosque officials say they want the mosque to build a dialogue between Muslims and members of other faiths

Lower Manhattan marks WTC Responder Day

June 7 - Lower Manhattan marks WTC Responder Day. A ceremony was held Saturday in St. Pauls Chapel to honor and thank the 9/11 rescue, recovery and clean-up workers. The Battery Park City Broadsheet Daily said several events were also held including a live archiving of response stories, painting of a giant mural that salutes the responders and a candlelight vigil.

Lower Manhattan residents call for more retail

June 8 - Lower Manhattan residents call for more retail. The Downtown Alliance surveyed local residents and they overwhelming want to see more daycare services, restaurants and stores. Downtown residents also said they go out for dinner close to 50 times a year. Elizabeth Berger, President of the Downtown Alliance said, While the survey shows residents are satisfied with the quality of life in Lower Manhattan, it also indicates a significant market for additional options.

More potential human remains found

June 9 - More potential human remains found. Workers sifting through WTC debris from the Fresh Kills landfill found four potential human remains, according to The Staten Island Advance. The next step is DNA testing. Since January 2006, the sifting operation has yielded 1,831 potential human remains.

New hotel opens with up-close views of the WTC

June 9 - A new hotel opens with up-close views of the WTC. The new World Center Hotel, with 169 rooms, sits just south of the WTC site and offers a birds-eye view of the transformation. DNAINFO.com reports the rooms have double-paned windows to muffle the construction noise.

New multi-million dollar agreement for WTC workers

June 10 - There's a new multi-million dollar agreement for WTC workers. The new deal, worked out over the last few months, will cover 10,000 9/11 responders with approximately $712.5 million. Thats an increase of about $125 million from the initial agreement and it also reduces lawyers fees, as requested by the judge in the case, by $50 million. According to The Associated Press, rescue/recovery workers with the most severe asthma cases could get up to $1 million each.

Beekman Tower units to sell in early 2011

June 11- Beekman Tower apartments said to go on sale in the first quarter of 2011. Frank Gehrys architectural wonder that is Beekman Tower is apparently going to be up for grabs next spring, according to Curbed.com. The story did not have any news on how much the 900 units will go for.