Yesterday
The Empire State Building was completed in 1931.
It was 1,250 feet tall making it the tallest building in the world at that time.
It was built during the Depression yet it was completed under budget ($24,718,000) and ahead of schedule.
The building was completed in one year and forty five days.
Today
The Freedom Tower will be completed in ???? (Your guess is as good as the Port Authority’s)
It will be 1,776 feet tall. It is being constructed during a Recession yet the current price tag is at least $3 Billion.
It appears that it will take over 7 years to complete and even the current price tag and timeline seem optimistic. (using the 2006 restart date)
Let’s compare this to some other more recent buildings under construction.
The Calatrava 2,000 foot Chicago spire $1.5 Billion
The Russian Tower 2,008 feet $2.2 Billion
The Shanghai World Financial Center 1,614 feet $1.2 Billion
To be fair the Burj Dubai’s 2,500 foot tower cost $4.1 Billion but they don't appear concerned about what they spend.
Does anyone else see something wrong with this picture?
We are going to spend 125 times more than it cost to build the Empire State Building and it is going to take 6 years longer to build.
By comparison we are going to spend $1 to $2 billion more than comparable buildings under construction.
And here’s the kicker it is not even being built to code.
Only in New York.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
OUR FORGIVING DAYS HAVE LONG PAST
Over the next 90 days while the new Executive Director of the Port Authority is putting together his report and recommending cost cutting changes we hope that he will not only look at the transit hub but at the entire plan including the Memorial.
He and the Governor only have to look at the similarities of excess between the Memorial and the Transit hub.
While the Transit hub has two superfluous wings reaching into the sky the Memorial has two giant voids reaching into the Ground.
The only logical reason for the voids seems to be that without them the Memorial would have to be built under the NYC codes as an indoor structure.
It appears that they couldn’t get the plan approved under the NYC codes as an indoor structure so instead of making the necessary changes they get it classified as an outdoor structure where requirements for capacity and location are less restrictive.
Can you imagine how one is going to feel as they travel down nearly three stories underground with the thunder of the crashing water reverberating from one side while the sounds of the passing trains rumble on the other side of the wall?
Can you guess what these sounds are going to remind people of?
The current design does not even follow what the mission statement for the Memorial.
But this whole process has never been about following rules.
The entire design selection process was a scam and the current design was forced upon us by members of the Pataki Administration.
The LMDC just continued the charade of an open and transparent process for the last seven years and you can see where that has gotten us.
Back in May 2006 Eliot Spitzer stated “Let me be very clear, the L.M.D.C. is an absolute failure,” when referring to the public authority responsible for the rebuilding.
“They violated their duty to the public and to those they’re supposed to be representing, and now they’re beginning to throw in the towel one by one, departing the scene with an abject failure behind them.”
In responding to Spitzer, Bloomberg said “I don’t know that anything will change with the new administration in Albany,”
He went on to state “We do have to, at some point here – and I think we’ve passed that point – as they say, fish or cut bait. It’s time to cut bait.”
Well Spitzer was right but unfortunately they are not the only ones that walked away.
He is gone, Pataki is gone and so are many of the usual suspects who made the decisions that have put us in the position we are today.
In regards to Bloomberg just lets say that I don’t think he fishes much as it has been over two years and it still doesn’t appear that he has cut bait.
Well we once again have an opportunity to possibly get this right.
Maybe our last opportunity.
We hope that the new Governor and the mayor will boldly go where his predecessors have not, and get things done FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.
A good first step would be to rethink the Memorial.
The second step would be to toss out the LMDC/PA play book in which rule one states “It is easier to get forgiveness than it is to get permission”
Our forgiving days have long past.
And while they are at it we ask the LMDC to look up the definition of development
THE DEFINITION OF DEVELOPMENT
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=26576
He and the Governor only have to look at the similarities of excess between the Memorial and the Transit hub.
While the Transit hub has two superfluous wings reaching into the sky the Memorial has two giant voids reaching into the Ground.
The only logical reason for the voids seems to be that without them the Memorial would have to be built under the NYC codes as an indoor structure.
It appears that they couldn’t get the plan approved under the NYC codes as an indoor structure so instead of making the necessary changes they get it classified as an outdoor structure where requirements for capacity and location are less restrictive.
Can you imagine how one is going to feel as they travel down nearly three stories underground with the thunder of the crashing water reverberating from one side while the sounds of the passing trains rumble on the other side of the wall?
Can you guess what these sounds are going to remind people of?
The current design does not even follow what the mission statement for the Memorial.
But this whole process has never been about following rules.
The entire design selection process was a scam and the current design was forced upon us by members of the Pataki Administration.
The LMDC just continued the charade of an open and transparent process for the last seven years and you can see where that has gotten us.
Back in May 2006 Eliot Spitzer stated “Let me be very clear, the L.M.D.C. is an absolute failure,” when referring to the public authority responsible for the rebuilding.
“They violated their duty to the public and to those they’re supposed to be representing, and now they’re beginning to throw in the towel one by one, departing the scene with an abject failure behind them.”
In responding to Spitzer, Bloomberg said “I don’t know that anything will change with the new administration in Albany,”
He went on to state “We do have to, at some point here – and I think we’ve passed that point – as they say, fish or cut bait. It’s time to cut bait.”
Well Spitzer was right but unfortunately they are not the only ones that walked away.
He is gone, Pataki is gone and so are many of the usual suspects who made the decisions that have put us in the position we are today.
In regards to Bloomberg just lets say that I don’t think he fishes much as it has been over two years and it still doesn’t appear that he has cut bait.
Well we once again have an opportunity to possibly get this right.
Maybe our last opportunity.
We hope that the new Governor and the mayor will boldly go where his predecessors have not, and get things done FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.
A good first step would be to rethink the Memorial.
The second step would be to toss out the LMDC/PA play book in which rule one states “It is easier to get forgiveness than it is to get permission”
Our forgiving days have long past.
And while they are at it we ask the LMDC to look up the definition of development
THE DEFINITION OF DEVELOPMENT
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=26576
Friday, July 4, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
OUR CHARACTER...IS AN OMEN OF OUR DESTINY
To All,
If it is true that the powers that be are going to a total review of what is going on at Ground Zero we would once again like to your attention the still unresolved issues with the alleged missing money and personal items from the NYPD Property Department.
It has been a year and a half and not one update. We were told that there was an internal investigation going and all our inquiries were ignored.
What is even worse is we could not get even one newspaper or newscast to do an investigative report.
It even appears that when the Comptroller asked about this a few months ago he was given the brush off as well.
The people who designed the system that cataloged the items recovered from 9/11 (including cash) state that over $900,000 in cash and over 1,000 highly recognizable pieces of jewelry were logged into their system. This is considerably higher the $220,000 in cash and 300-400 pieces of jewelry reported by the NYPD.
And we can’t get anyone to give us answers.
PERSONAL ITEM RECOVERY (Originally posted 11/8/2006)
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=32679
PERSONAL ITEMS UPDATE (Originally posted 1/15/2007)
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=34382
Here is another interesting post from 12/14/2006 Where we stated that it was going to cost over $2 Billion before they were finished with rebuilding at the Deutsche Bank Building location
THE INMATES CONTINUE TO RUN THE ASYLUM (Originally posted 12/13/2006)
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=33756
Here is a quote from a post dated 11/22/2005
Now let me get this straight. The Governor and the Mayor are now behind the Port Authority building the WTC Memorial and Museum. This is the same Port Authority that still refuses to abide by the New York City Fire and Building Codes. The same Port Authority that swore to the families that the footprints would be respected at the same time they were planning the transportation hub on the same footprints with additional transit lines to come. The same Port Authority that should not even be involved in commercial real estate as they were created to monitor our bridges and tunnels and the Port of NY. What does this have to do with the Memorial? They should never have been involved with the WTC in the first place.
We fear that as in the past the stories will quickly fade from the news and we will be no closer to a resolution after 90 days.
We have continued to raise these concerns for years and will continue to do so because we have to hold out hope that somebody will finally listen because we believe that “Our character...is an omen of our destiny”
To see a total list of posts go to
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=30
If it is true that the powers that be are going to a total review of what is going on at Ground Zero we would once again like to your attention the still unresolved issues with the alleged missing money and personal items from the NYPD Property Department.
It has been a year and a half and not one update. We were told that there was an internal investigation going and all our inquiries were ignored.
What is even worse is we could not get even one newspaper or newscast to do an investigative report.
It even appears that when the Comptroller asked about this a few months ago he was given the brush off as well.
The people who designed the system that cataloged the items recovered from 9/11 (including cash) state that over $900,000 in cash and over 1,000 highly recognizable pieces of jewelry were logged into their system. This is considerably higher the $220,000 in cash and 300-400 pieces of jewelry reported by the NYPD.
And we can’t get anyone to give us answers.
PERSONAL ITEM RECOVERY (Originally posted 11/8/2006)
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=32679
PERSONAL ITEMS UPDATE (Originally posted 1/15/2007)
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=34382
Here is another interesting post from 12/14/2006 Where we stated that it was going to cost over $2 Billion before they were finished with rebuilding at the Deutsche Bank Building location
THE INMATES CONTINUE TO RUN THE ASYLUM (Originally posted 12/13/2006)
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=33756
Here is a quote from a post dated 11/22/2005
Now let me get this straight. The Governor and the Mayor are now behind the Port Authority building the WTC Memorial and Museum. This is the same Port Authority that still refuses to abide by the New York City Fire and Building Codes. The same Port Authority that swore to the families that the footprints would be respected at the same time they were planning the transportation hub on the same footprints with additional transit lines to come. The same Port Authority that should not even be involved in commercial real estate as they were created to monitor our bridges and tunnels and the Port of NY. What does this have to do with the Memorial? They should never have been involved with the WTC in the first place.
We fear that as in the past the stories will quickly fade from the news and we will be no closer to a resolution after 90 days.
We have continued to raise these concerns for years and will continue to do so because we have to hold out hope that somebody will finally listen because we believe that “Our character...is an omen of our destiny”
To see a total list of posts go to
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=30
WATERFALLS
We currently have 4 waterfalls displays in NYC
1. The Brooklyn Anchorage of the Brooklyn Bridge;
2. Between Piers 4 and 5 in Brooklyn Heights;
3. Lower Manhattan at Pier 35 (north of Manhattan Bridge);
4. The North Shore of Governors Island.
The falls will be on display from June 26th to October 13th, 2008.
You may ask what this has to do with Ground Zero.
Well as you know there are also waterfalls in the current Memorial planned for the site.
While waterfalls are quite a spectacle one has to ask what they have to do with 9/11 and Ground Zero.
There is a reason for the schedule of the current waterfall displays (June to Oct)
The people running the current displays realized that water tends to freeze in the winter.
Something that should have been considered when selecting the Memorial Design.
They plan to run these waterfalls year round.
The estimate to heat the water so that the mist would not freeze during the winter at the WTC was estimated to be $500,000 a year.
This estimate was based on fuel costs 6 months ago.
Everyone knows what has happened to energy costs over the last 6 months.
While everything we have seen recently has been talking about the construction costs, our question is; is anyone even looking into the life cycle costs once the Memorial is built?
If somebody is this might be a good starting point.
If they build it according to the current plan the last thing we would want is for them to realize that this is too expensive to maintain during the winter and we will wind up with two holes in the ground.
Don’t you think we have been looking at a hole in the ground long enough?
1. The Brooklyn Anchorage of the Brooklyn Bridge;
2. Between Piers 4 and 5 in Brooklyn Heights;
3. Lower Manhattan at Pier 35 (north of Manhattan Bridge);
4. The North Shore of Governors Island.
The falls will be on display from June 26th to October 13th, 2008.
You may ask what this has to do with Ground Zero.
Well as you know there are also waterfalls in the current Memorial planned for the site.
While waterfalls are quite a spectacle one has to ask what they have to do with 9/11 and Ground Zero.
There is a reason for the schedule of the current waterfall displays (June to Oct)
The people running the current displays realized that water tends to freeze in the winter.
Something that should have been considered when selecting the Memorial Design.
They plan to run these waterfalls year round.
The estimate to heat the water so that the mist would not freeze during the winter at the WTC was estimated to be $500,000 a year.
This estimate was based on fuel costs 6 months ago.
Everyone knows what has happened to energy costs over the last 6 months.
While everything we have seen recently has been talking about the construction costs, our question is; is anyone even looking into the life cycle costs once the Memorial is built?
If somebody is this might be a good starting point.
If they build it according to the current plan the last thing we would want is for them to realize that this is too expensive to maintain during the winter and we will wind up with two holes in the ground.
Don’t you think we have been looking at a hole in the ground long enough?
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
LETTER TO MAYOR BLOOMBERG
To All,
A version of the letter below was also sent to Governor Paterson and Joseph Daniels.
Dennis
Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Chairman
National September 11th Memorial & Museum
City Hall
New York, New York 10007
Dear Mayor Bloomberg,
I am writing this letter to you not as the Mayor of New York City but as the Chairman of the National September 11th Memorial & Museum.
My organization has been working closely with the 9/11 families since 2001. Over that period of time we have been listening to their concerns and have worked with many 9/11 family groups when issues arose.
As you are probably aware many 9/11 family members were disheartened with the recent news of the delays and overruns at Ground Zero. They are particularly concerned that the WTC Memorial may not be completed by the 10th anniversary of the attacks.
To that end I would like to make you aware that over the past four years we have been developing a plan to create a facility that will not only honor those lost on 9/11 but also remember all those who came together in support after the events of that tragic day.
Below please find a brief description of how we foresee the complex.
A version of the letter below was also sent to Governor Paterson and Joseph Daniels.
Dennis
Where to Turn 150-L Greaves Lane # 312
Staten Island, N.Y. 10308
718-966-6531 (fax) 718-966-6516
Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Chairman
National September 11th Memorial & Museum
City Hall
New York, New York 10007
Dear Mayor Bloomberg,
I am writing this letter to you not as the Mayor of New York City but as the Chairman of the National September 11th Memorial & Museum.
My organization has been working closely with the 9/11 families since 2001. Over that period of time we have been listening to their concerns and have worked with many 9/11 family groups when issues arose.
As you are probably aware many 9/11 family members were disheartened with the recent news of the delays and overruns at Ground Zero. They are particularly concerned that the WTC Memorial may not be completed by the 10th anniversary of the attacks.
To that end I would like to make you aware that over the past four years we have been developing a plan to create a facility that will not only honor those lost on 9/11 but also remember all those who came together in support after the events of that tragic day.
Below please find a brief description of how we foresee the complex.
The Hearts and Hands Memorial Complex
As you walk into the entrance of the Memorial you will be greeted by friendly volunteers from our local High Schools or Colleges or maybe by a senior citizen who is volunteering for the day
The entrance facility will have some portraits or personal reminders that have been created since 9/11.
These will be rotating displays so each time you enter you will see something different.
If you like you will be able to make an appointment to record a personal memory about a family member or a friend.
You will also be able to sign up to be a volunteer of a contributor to some of the numerous educational programs that we are developing with other 9/11 family groups.
You will then have the option to proceed to your left to view the United in Memory 9/11 Victims Memorial Quilt or to your right into the Corridor of Memories.
If you go to your left you will enter a single exhibition hall with over 10,000 square feet of open floor space and will be able to walk through aisles displaying the United in Memory 9/11 Victims Memorial Quilt. 142 10 ½ by 10 ½ panels each containing 25 quilt patches memorializing all of the victims of 9/11.
These patches were made by people from all over the world and there is at least one patch for every victim.
You will feel the love that went into this very personal memorial.
Family members will be able to add items to the patches.
Visitors will also be able to tie knots into panels that are under repair.
Anyone will also be able to leave a personal recording of their experience or listen to personal memories of those who have gone before them.
If upon entering the memorial you go to your right you will enter the Corridor of Memories. The corridor is over 250 feet in length and has nearly 3,000 square feet of floor space.
On the walls of the corridor will be 8 x 10 photos of all of the victims of 9/11.
The photos will be arranged bin alphabetical order by affiliation.
The affiliations will also be arranged in alphabetical order to ensure that visitors can easily find their loved one’s photo.
Under each photo will be the name, rank (if required), age and location of the victim on 9/11.
The corridor continues in a circular direction and leads visitors back into the exhibition hall housing the quilt.
The corridor and the exhibition hall will totally enclose a 21,000 square foot Memorial Garden.
The garden will consist of floral arrangements and outdoor monuments including two refurbished fountains and provide a place for peaceful meditation and contemplation.
Surrounding the garden on the exterior walls of the corridor will be plexi glass enclosed viewing areas so visitors will be able to experience the garden even in bad weather.
The arched Plexiglas roof of the enclosures will have etched into them the names of all of the victims in a totally random fashion.
We hope to enable visitors to look up into the sky and feel that their loved ones are watching over them.
There will also be a chapel nearby for anyone who wants to say a prayer.
The Hearts and Hands Memorial Complex will not be at Ground Zero but a short distance away on Staten Island on the grounds of the Seaview Rehabilitation campus.
Restored from abandoned buildings of an era gone by, it will be close enough to Ground Zero yet far enough away from the hustle and bustle of lower Manhattan.
It will be nearly 1,000 feet from any major road.
It will not be a tourist attraction but rather a compliment to the WTC Memorial at Ground Zero.
A place where anyone, but in particular family members, will be able to go to quietly reflect, and remember their loved ones.
It will also be a place to remember how everyone came together after 9/11 to support the victims of the attack and share the valuable lessons learned since 2001.
We already have $1 million committed towards the $6.5 million total cost of this facility and will be starting our official fundraising efforts next month.
I am hoping that you will join Senator Clinton, Senator Schumer, Senator Lanza and all of the 9/11 family groups by supporting this effort.
I will make myself available at your convenience to discuss or answer any questions you may have relating to this project.
I look forward to our continued conversations.
Sincerely,
Dennis McKeon
Executive Director
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
TRANSPARENCY AND OPENNESS
One only has to look at any of the 14 articles and editorials that we have pulled from today’s papers to see that they are almost unanimous in stating that every part of construction is currently well over budget and behind schedule (see link below)
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=23
Yet at the same time we receive a press release from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum stating that they are still going to all that they can to have the memorial accessible by 2011.
Once again we get all the same catch phrases “transparency” and “openness” that the Foundation has used since day one.
Unfortunately there has never been anything transparent or open in dealing with the Foundation from its president on down.
Now would have been a perfect time for the Foundation to state “we will re-evaluate the current plans for the Memorial and based on the results of that review we will establish a correct timeline for its opening.
While we all want the Memorial to be open for the 10th anniversary I think most family members would rather have all the outstanding issues resolved at this time,
From the placement of the names to a proper response to the Kallstrom report (which has been ignored) about a proper exit strategy from the underground memorial.
We may be missing something but we thought that the Memorial was still bound by the $500 Million cap set by the Sciame report.
Or has that much heralded report been discarded as well.
Here is another statement from the Memorial Foundation
“The Board agreed to work on two items in order to proceed with the next phase of construction of the Memorial and Museum. The Foundation will one, continue its efforts to refine the project’s base estimates, resolve all of the outstanding infrastructure cost issues with Port Authority and two, in cooperation with other key stakeholders, outline an array of ways to reduce project costs while maintaining the Arad/Walker vision for the Memorial. The Foundation believes that in order to move forward with construction, the City, the State, LMDC, Port Authority and the Foundation must all be on the same page.
The funny thing is this is from May 2006.
Doesn’t seem like much has changed.
If this is ever really going to be open and transparent this might be the place to start.
I am sure that most family members would appreciate a much simpler and safer Memorial
The Foundation should take that into consideration.
http://www.where-to-turn.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=23
Yet at the same time we receive a press release from the National September 11 Memorial & Museum stating that they are still going to all that they can to have the memorial accessible by 2011.
Once again we get all the same catch phrases “transparency” and “openness” that the Foundation has used since day one.
Unfortunately there has never been anything transparent or open in dealing with the Foundation from its president on down.
Now would have been a perfect time for the Foundation to state “we will re-evaluate the current plans for the Memorial and based on the results of that review we will establish a correct timeline for its opening.
While we all want the Memorial to be open for the 10th anniversary I think most family members would rather have all the outstanding issues resolved at this time,
From the placement of the names to a proper response to the Kallstrom report (which has been ignored) about a proper exit strategy from the underground memorial.
We may be missing something but we thought that the Memorial was still bound by the $500 Million cap set by the Sciame report.
Or has that much heralded report been discarded as well.
Here is another statement from the Memorial Foundation
“The Board agreed to work on two items in order to proceed with the next phase of construction of the Memorial and Museum. The Foundation will one, continue its efforts to refine the project’s base estimates, resolve all of the outstanding infrastructure cost issues with Port Authority and two, in cooperation with other key stakeholders, outline an array of ways to reduce project costs while maintaining the Arad/Walker vision for the Memorial. The Foundation believes that in order to move forward with construction, the City, the State, LMDC, Port Authority and the Foundation must all be on the same page.
The funny thing is this is from May 2006.
Doesn’t seem like much has changed.
If this is ever really going to be open and transparent this might be the place to start.
I am sure that most family members would appreciate a much simpler and safer Memorial
The Foundation should take that into consideration.
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