by Cris Italia
Each plan featured a Memorial for victims as well as skyscrapers ranging from 63 to 80 stories high. On Saturday, July 20, both the LMDC and the PA, in conjunction with the Civic Alliance to Rebuild Downtown New York, held Listening to the City, a forum to gain public input of the site plans.
More than 5,000 participants registered for the event at the Jacob Javits Center. All 50 states were represented at the conference. The participants commented on the World Trade Center site plans and gave their own ideas of what downtown should look like.
The Civic Alliance is a coalition made up of more than 85 civic, labor, business, environmental groups and academic institutions, all committed to ensuring that community voices are heard.
Our goal is to create a great urban space in Lower Manhattan, said Robert Yaro, president of the Regional Plan Association. One that sensitively memorializes the thousands of people who lost their lives and serves the long-term needs, interests and dreams of people throughout New York City, the surrounding region and the entire nation.
All participants received copies of the plans and thorough explanations of how they would be built and what would be included. Round tables were set up, with 10-12 participants at each table. I'm here because I think we can all make a difference, said Mira Kolster of Franklin Square. It's important that the powers that be hear what we say about what will happen downtown.
Memorial Plaza
The Memorial Plaza site plan displayed six new commercial buildings, which included a hotel, some residential use, and left the imprints of the twin towers untouched. The buildings surround the imprints and the memorial. Two skyscrapers would be equal in size, almost a replica of the former twin towers. One building would stand out taller than the rest.
I think it's very important to leave the imprints of the twin towers, said Judith Peter, a building planner from Elmont. It is sacred ground and should not be touched. This model received a positive reaction from the crowd of more than 5,000, and tallied the highest percentage of the votes with 27 percent.
Memorial Square
Memorial Square featured only five commercial buildings, with less space created for residential use. The memorial includes a museum and a public walkway. The imprints of both towers were again preserved with this site plan.
It just seems a bit cluttered, said Margie Setton of Valley Stream. I would think it needed more space around the square. There seems to be too much emphasis on the businesses and not [enough about] remembering the victims. This plan received only 14 percent of the votes.
Memorial Triangle
With a small portion of the site plan dedicated to a memorial, participants were quick to respond negatively. The plans included more residential developments, with seven commercial buildings surrounding a memorial triangle.
This is just way too small for a memorial. They even have the museum crammed in there, said Robert Ricter, a resident of Malverne. The imprints are covered and there just seems to be too much going on. This plan seemed to be rejected by most in attendance, receiving only 8 percent of the votes.
Memorial Garden
Again developers decided to cut off one of the imprints of the twin towers and use the space for cultural centers. There would be four commercial buildings, but each building would take up more room than any of the other buildings in previous sites. In this plan there is more access to Battery Park City, which would reduce congestion in the downtown area.
I just think with these plans it would be an injustice to the victims of 9/11, said Craig Markowitz of Cedarhurst. If you notice this is one of the smallest spaces dedicated to the memorial, and I think it should be more of a priority. The garden received 23 percent of the votes.
Memorial Park
With both imprints not preserved, there was much more space downtown with the Memorial Park plans. Six commercial buildings were planned, along with space for residential developments just off of Greenwich Street. The plans also included an underground tunnel on West Street, which would alleviate traffic. The tunnel would only be used for residents of lower Manhattan and Battery Park City. The buildings also gave the skyline a lift. Again two buildings resembled the twin towers, standing side by side.
It's okay I guess, if you were going to go with anyone that didn't include the imprints of the towers, this would be the one, said Peter Stenson, an accountant from Baldwin. There is a lot of space to move around, everything just seems to be more open. I just don't know how the memorial would look here. Memorial Park received 26 percent of the votes.
Memorial Promenade
This plan is more diverse than any of the other designs. Developers designed a promenade starting from the WTC site and ending at Battery Park. The site would preserve two imprints of the twin towers, but not at their original location. Also, two, 80-story buildings would resemble the towers and stand side by side. Both would have radio antennas attached. Six commercial buildings were included, and plans for the West Street tunnel would run under the promenade.
Although it would look great, it's just unnecessary, said Sal Cantos, a caterer from West Hempstead. A promenade already exists downtown, I don't think there is a need for another one. I think the idea of two buildings looking like the twin towers is a good idea, but the imprints that are not where they should be bothers me a little. The promenade received 18 percent of the vote.
The reaction of participants sent a clear message to developers. There still needs to be a lot of work done here, Cantos said. They might need to go back and come up with more suggestions.
My biggest concern here is that the area becomes a tourist attraction, said Mike McLaughlin, a resident of Valley Stream. No matter what, it will attract tourists, but we should contain it as much as we can. This isn't a happy place. Thousands of people died here, we need to remember that, and give the victims' families something to come to so that they can mourn.
The Port Authority was present during each site plan vote. Frank Lombardi, the PA's chief engineer, addressed the crowd and assured them they would be heard. The PA's top priority is to build a memorial to remember those lost at the World Trade Center, we also want to honor the heroes and rescuers that sacrificed their lives, Lombardi said. We must revitalize and restore the economy which was dealt a terrible blow. I assure you these site plans are only the beginning of public dialogue.
With fresh input from participants in mind, developers will now go back to the drawing board.
