World Trade Center: Ruination and Recovery

Pennsylvania � 40 dead on hijacked plane.

Official damage estimates are thirty billion dollars. The U.S. airline industry lost 40% of its passenger service over the month following the attack with 18% worldwide. Intangible costs include restrictions on travel service, heightened security, new procedures and loss of many personal freedoms.

In addition to loss of life and property damage at the World Trade Center, there remains a massive loss of function (travel, communications and finance) in lower Manhattan. New York City�s tax base is severely compromised by damage to its financial district and supporting retail businesses, hotels and restaurants.

Finally there is the staggering cost, nationwide and globally, to conduct the war on terrorism. This, of course, may last for years with uncertain results.

Presently my wife, Eleanor, and I are in New York City for her radiation treatments. Finding ourselves with copious free time between hospital visits, we have been visiting museums and most recently, the site of the former World Trade Center (WTC). A subject of interest to Americans, the damage and rebuilding efforts here should be of concern to Lake Helen and Cassadaga residents, I reason. Hence this article. Too, I will mention something of the stubborn humans resolve to rise above the devastation.

The September 11, 2001 attacks represent the costliest man-made tragedy in the history of civilization. Official loss of life estimates from the February 10, 2002 New York Times are as follows (not including 19 hijackers):

World Trade Center � 2,843 dead or missing plus 147 dead on two hijacked planes.

Pentagon � 184 dead or missing plus 59 dead on hijacked plane.

Perhaps you assumed, like me, that the WTC attacks destroyed two buildings, the so-called �Twin Towers.� In reality, when the towers collapsed, the adjacent five WTC buildings were also totally destroyed by a domino effect of tumbling buildings.

Another seven buildings in an outer trauma zone surrounding the WTC were severely damaged as an avalanche of steel and concrete tore through roofs, facades, igniting fires and creating underground floods.

Further out yet from the disaster epicenter is a ring of fifteen moderately damaged buildings which suffered structural damage, fire, smoke and contamination.

Twenty-two severely and moderately damaged buildings remain unopened.

As a Lake Helen Historic Preservation Board member, I was particularly interested in adversely affected historic landmarks. Two vintage skyscrapers were unfortunate members of the �severely damaged� circle.

Cass Gilbert Building: This 23 story landmark with Gothic features was built in 1907 by architect Cass Gilbert who, in 1913 designed and built the famous neo-Gothic Woolworth Building, a few blocks northward. The Cass Gilbert north fa�ade suffered damage from the plummeting debris of the South Tower and 14 floors were set ablaze for more than a day and a half, resulting in extensive interior damage. Renovation of structures and restoration of architectural details will require an estimated 100 million dollars.

At this time, the debris from the WTC complex has been virtually removed and where the WTC was, now may be best described as a hole. Here scores of dozens, cranes and great trucks continue to toil night and day with the last of the cleanup. I am reminded of ants rebuilding after a lawnmower has spoiled their mound. A cleanup worker whom I accosted at the Greenwich Street access, north of the site told me that the present effort is to remove all the old foundations so �something new� can be built. He gestured at the hole with his hardhat and added, �We�re taking the old down so the new can go up.� I believe they will do just that.

Verizon Building: Located on the northwest corner of the WTC complex, this 21 story Art Deco was built in 1926 to serve as NYC Telephone Company headquarters. With four million data and telephone lines radiating from the building, it was the nerve center for Lower Manhattan�s commercial and residential infrastructure. The major damage to this modernist landmark occurred when 7 WTC, a 47 story skyscraper collapsed against its east fa�ade, bending support columns inward and leaving an 8 story gash. The basement�s communications vault was penetrated by steel girders with resultant flooding and total loss of telecommunications function. Temporary telecom has been restored but permanent reworking of lines and systems and structural repairs and restoration are years away and the final tab on this building alone may exceed one billion dollars. It is generally agreed that it could be cheaper to demolish and rebuild but values and emotions are at stake. A legion of artisans will be drafted to restore and stabilize the Art Deco stone, copper, brass and bronze detailing and the interior ceiling murals. The owners, like other affected building owners, are defiantly reluctant to let the terrorists claim even one more toppled trophy.