With much of the activity at Ground Zero below surface, it's only been in recent months that passers-by have seen buildings actually emerge from the World Trade Center site. On Tuesday, we went on a tour of the Port Authority's projects at the World Trade Center site, where about 1,400 constructions workers are on site daily and working on the array of projects. more ›

Surprise, surprise: In the weeks since the various players in the World Trade Center's development met, nothing has happened! Even though politicians, including Mayor Bloomberg and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (in "a startling alliance"!), have criticized the Port Authority for slowing the progress of Ground Zero's future, since the PA refuses to pay for all the towers that developer Larry Silverstein wants, the Port Authority hasn't budged. Now Silverstein has given the Port Authority two weeks to come to an agreement, or else he'll take the whole thing to arbitration. Which could mean more delays. more ›

Until March 5, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has a show dedicated to Santiago Calatrava, the already-beloved in NY architect behind the new PATH Transit Hub at the World Trade Center. The show, Santiago Calatrava: Sculpture into Architecture, features two dozen sculptures amongst drawings and architectural models. However, in a skeptical review in the NY Times, architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff wonders how the sculptures actually figure into Calatrava's process (plus, the sculptures are "mostly derivative of the works of dead masters like Brancusi"), because he seems to be more interested in engineering. And that's the sense you get from Paul Goldberger's review of the show in the New Yorker - that Calatrava is deeply aware of structure (think his Turning Torso building, think 80 South Street), if a slick salesman. It's still probably worth a visit, if only to see Calatrava's work around the world. And you can stop by the Vincent van Gogh drawings show, which is awesome. more ›

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- Some families of September 11 victims want to block the building of Santiago Calatrava's PATH Transit Hub at Ground Zero more ›

Eager to reassure everyone that things were moving along at Ground Zero, Governor Pataki's World Trade Center flunky chief of staff, said that the PATH Transit Hub designed by Santiago Calatrava would offer 200,000 square feet of space for retailers and bidding will start in a few months. All hell, does this mean there will be an Olive Garden down there, to compete with the Applebee's at the Battery Park Regal Cinemas? The NY Times says the retail corridor plans, which would include another 300,000 square feet along Church Street, might face "same criticism that felled the Freedom Center"; plus Cahill's remarks were to a group of business executives, including those from Wal-Mart (of course, the Port Authority chairman Anthony Coscia had to tell the Times, "It's premature, to be frank, but if you think we're planning a big Wal-Mart, the answer is no."). At any rate, if there's one thing Gothamist remembers after September 11, it's that if you don't shop, then the terrorists win! Perhaps the LMDC can build a mall to rival the one uptown...and call it "Freedom to Shop Center." more ›