With all the distraction about the planned Cordoba House a couple blocks away, one of the things that annoys me is the constant reference by so many people of the site and the area as "Ground Zero."
Nine years ago, after the attack, the term was appropriate. I believe it is time to completely cast it aside. Unfortunately, when someone looks at Google maps or Bing maps, they still see a site that has plenty of nothing there. Just a giant 16 acre hole in the ground with a subway tunnel running through it.
Those pictures are long outdated. For anyone who hasn't seen recent photos of the site, you're in for a big surprise.
Jump over the break to see today:
The site is owned by the Port Authority of NY and NJ. They have a websitethat gives timely updates as to what is going on. Also, Silverstein Properties is involved, as they own three of the buildings- Towers 2, 3, and 4. The PA owns Tower One (what had been called The Freedom Tower), the Transportation Hub, and I believe they are building the WTC Memorial.
Here is the site, looking east. To the left is One WTC, now at about 34 stories high. To its right is the WTC Memorial, with the pools on the exact footprints of the original towers.
Upper left is Tower 4, which will rise 69 stories. The empty space to its left is for Towers 2, 3 and the Transportation Hub. The most current plans for Towers 2 and 3 is to build them to about three stories above street level. When the money and demand is in place, they will rise to their planned 79 and 71 story heights. In between these two towers will be Santiago Calatrava's transportation hub- what many believe is the most striking building on the site.
What divides the east and west "bathtubs" is the number 1 subway line.
Here we have the site looking west towards the World Financial Center- today, at 1:24pm EDT. Here's the linkfor the live webcam.
Here is a close up the North Pool of the memorial. The granite walls are already done. These will be waterfalls when complete.
Finally, a rendering of the completed site, with labels I added.
One more thing about this rendering. Look at Tower 2- 79 stories; diagonally across from it, 7 WTC, 52 stories (already complete), next to it, to the north, a Federal Office Building (built in 1935), 15 stories, and finally, north of that is 100 Church Street (built in 1958) about 19 stories. Well, it's north of 100 Church where the 13 story Cordoba House is supposed to go.
Yup, 13 stories- surrounded by buildings all taller, some way taller.
Well, as you can see, the site is a hub of activity. It is no longer a site of current devastation; but of construction and re-birth. It is no longer a "Ground Zero" as far as I am concerned.
It is the World Trade Center.
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(Just want to add this, somewhat off topic. I'm sure we're all familiar with JekyllnHyde's incredible political cartoon diaries and Obama photo diaries from blackwaterdog. I have a new found respect for how difficult they are. Just these four photos and descriptions seemed to take forever.)