July 26th - July 30th, 2010

PA Releases Time-Lapsed WTC Animation Video

July 27 – The video shows viewers what the site will look like in the future. According to FoxNews, the animation shows ground zero transformed from a construction site into the structures that make up the site- the 9-11 Memorial, the fountains with water flowing and 1 WTC at 1,776 feet tall.

Ribbon Cutting at Imagination Playground

July 27 – Mayor Bloomberg and architect David Rockwell were joined by several elected officials at the official opening of the unique park. Located at Burling Slip, the $7 million playground consists of foundations with canals of cascading water. It’s designed to encourage children to use an array of blue blocks and foam to build all kinds of shapes.

Archeologists Begin Dismantling Ship

July 27 – The New York Times reports each plank of the 32 foot vessel will be freeze-dried so the ship can eventually be reassembled and put on display. The painstaking dismantling process is expected to take several days. Historians now believe the ship was used as landfill in the early 1800’s as Manhattan extended its shoreline.

CB1 Votes Against Landmark Status

July 28 – The vote was 24-11 to recommend the City’s Landmark’s Preservation Commission reject a call to landmark the building, complicating the mosque’s construction. The vote came during a heated meeting of CB1; the Commission’s vote on landmarking the building won’t take place until later this summer.

Legislation to Protect Firefighters in State-Owned Buildings

July 29 – Three years after the deadly fire at 130 Liberty Street which killed two firefighters, state lawmakers are urging Governor Paterson to sign a bill that would help first responders in an emergency, according to The Downtown Express. The legislation would set up a city and state task force to come up with safety methods for firefighters in, such as providing them with maps of state owned buildings.

New School Maybe in the Works for Peck Slip

July 29 – The New York City School Construction Authority (SCA) says the Peck Slip Post Office is an “appropriate site” for a school. The Downtown Express reports the USPS is looking to sell the top half of the building. Alterations to the building would need permission from the Landmarks Preservation Commission, because it lies within the South Street Historic District.

Deloitte Seeks Incentives to Move Downtown

July 29 – NYC’s Industrial Development Agency is considering approving the incentive for Deloitte, which is weighing a lease of 630,000 square feet at 4 World Financial Center. A report on GlobeSt.com says Deloitte would move its headquarters now at 1633 Broadway to Lower Manhattan and consolidate all of its NYC offices to 4 WFC. The incentives require Deloitte to add 2,100 jobs.