Praise be: The NY Times reports that building of the new World Trade Center have commenced with the first work on Santiago Calatrava's PATH transit hub for the Port Authority. Workers constructed a wooden trough that will become a retaining wall for a future, temporary PATH train placement (if you like learning about where the rebar goes, you'll love this article). And while some September 11 victims' groups want to stop the Port Authority's building, the Port Authority is moving on. The Times asked the PA's chairman "about the absence of fanfare yesterday," and Anthony R. Coscia replied, "I think people have become so jaded by the inordinate amount of ceremonies that have occurred at that site - disproportionate to what's actually happened - that I didn't want to add to that. This is about actually building." Thank you, Mr. Coscia, as we'd gladly trade all the pomp and circumstance for something constructive, if you forgive the pun, to happen at Ground Zero. While Governor Pataki told the Today show earlier this week (while he was at the Top of the Rock) that building on the rest of the World Trade Center plan would start next year, we're doubtful any of the buildings will get done on schedule because of all the political bickering and manuvering.
And an interesting fact: Parsons Brinckerhoff, one of the construction manager-partners, in this project, also design New York City's first subway line, the IRT!
Photograph from the NY Times
