And, pending board approval, Stefan Pryor will become president of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., replacing Kevin Rampe, who announced his resignation last week. Pryor currently serves as senior vice president for policy and programs. The LMDC submitted sections of the revised draft Phase I Deconstruction plan to the regulatory agencies for review for final approval for the cleaning, abatement and deconstruction of the Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty St.

Pataki says the construction of the Freedom Tower will proceed undeterred and that all other key elements of the rebuilding will continue on schedule. WTC developer Larry Silverstein says he and architect David Childs will make every attempt to meet the governor's deadline. The New York Police Department, which raised security concerns about the original design, has signed off on a preliminary plan. The redesign is expected to be consistent with the Libeskind master site plan.

Pataki adds that a joint agreement with the city is in place for the remaining funds of the LMDC which include a $300-million contribution to the WTC memorial and funding for the completion of Tribeca section of Hudson River Park, the deconstruction of Fiterman Hall, transformation of Lower Manhattan's waterfront and enhanced community amenities.

"Yes, the Freedom Tower needs to be redesigned," Pataki says. And yes, the reason why it must be redesigned is security. But let me tell you, we have been taking all the necessary steps to meet this challenge head on. While redesigning the Freedom Tower is important, we must ensure that going forward, we have a clear and sure process in place to resolve issues before they stall our efforts."

Instant Insights /

GlobeSt.com UPDATE: Pataki Says Freedom Tower Will Move Forward Without Delay

Related Stories

Recommended For You