October 27th - November 2nd, 2006

Survivors Staircase Will Not Return to Original Spot

Saturday, October 28^th: The staircase from the World Trade Center's north tower that led survivors of the 9/11 attacks to safety will not be returned to its original spot at Ground Zero but could instead be integrated into the design of Tower 2 by architectural firm Foster and Partners, the Daily News reported. Site developer Larry Silverstein told five historic preservation groups in a letter, "Regrettably, our architects ... have been unable to find a design solution ... that respects the master plan and meets the security requirements," the paper reported. Silverstein, citing safety concerns, added that the staircase materials "could break apart and become projectiles" in a blast, the paper continued.

According to the Daily News, five historic preservation groups, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which placed the staircase on a list of America's 11 Most Endangered Places, want the staircase to be restored to its original spot at Ground Zero after Lord Foster's office tower is completed. The architects at Foster and Partners propose integrating remnants of the original stone stairs into the tower's exterior steps and including an etched outline in the building's lobby and external floor finish where the staircase originally stood, the paper added.

Trinity Church Receives 12 New Bells

Saturday, October 28^th: Trinity Church received 12 new bells worth $1 million from a project financed by British high-tech entrepreneur Martin "Dill" Faulkes, the Associated Press reported. Faulkes told the AP, "The glory of change bell ringing is perhaps even more resonant in today's stressful environment." The peals of the change bells resounded throughout Lower Manhattan for three and a half hours on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m. and ringing through at least 5,000 changes, the AP continued. Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of bells according to a mathematical formula that dates back to the Middle Ages, the AP added.

Trinity Church's rector, the Reverend James Cooper, likened the change ringing bells to "iconic sonic booms echoing through the corridors of commerce," the AP reported. Trinity Church's new bells constitute the only 12-bell set in the United States and replace the 10 bells that previously resided in the bell tower, the AP continued. According to the AP, the new bells, cast from bronze alloy, range in weight from a few hundred pounds to over a ton.

 

Search for Human Remains Expanded

Monday, October 30^th: Mayor Michael Bloomberg last week announced that the search for human remains at and near the World Trade Center site will be expanded following recommendations contained in a report from Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center (LMCCC) Executive Director Charles Maikish and New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner David Burney. Deputy Mayor for Administration Edward Skyler requested the report after more than 200 remains were discovered during an excavation by Consolidated Edison. For more on this story, please click here.

New President for WTC Memorial Foundation

Wednesday, November 1^st: Joseph Daniels, acting president of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, was appointed its president and chief executive on Monday, the Associated Press reported. Daniels became the acting president after Gretchen Dykstra resigned from the position last year, the AP continued. He joined the foundation as general counsel in May 2005, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the AP that Daniels has since, "led the project through key milestones."

Judge Rules in Favor of WTC Insurers

Wednesday, November 1^st: U.S. District Judge Harold Baer ruled that insurance companies do not have to spend an extra $700 million to make the new World Trade Center complex "bigger and better," the Associated Press reported. Baer reasoned that insurance companies only owe site developer Larry Silverstein the cost to rebuild the World Trade Center as it was before 9/11, the AP continued. The insurance companies estimated that an additional $700 million would be needed to make Silverstein's desired improvements to the site, the AP added.