The Battle For Ground Zero, Part 143

There's a possibility that the WTC building five, which would replace the Deutsche Bank building that is currently being deconstructed, will include a school to handle the growing residential population in Lower Manhattan.

"It would be great to have another middle school here," said Kevin Doherty, who pointed out there's only one other middle or intermediate school south of Canal Street.

"Good idea," added Diane Paly, a parent and a city school teacher. "Our neighborhood needs more schooling options for everyone."

Menin said Tower 5 is an ideal site for a school, since it's not on the footprint of Ground Zero and has a central location to many proposed housing developments, including a project slated for Greenwich Street.

The PA is expected to sell the development rights to Tower 5 for an estimated $300 million, allowing the 57-story tower to be constructed for mostly residential use by 2012 or 2013.

Tower 5 will be built roughly where the scarred hulk of the Deutsche Bank now sits. That damaged tower is in the process of being taken down.

Does anyone who is pushing this particular site realize that it also happens to be where the planners expected to maintain security checkpoints for trucks and vehicles entering the WTC complex underground parking areas?

UPDATE:
The NY Daily News is reporting that the Port Authority is willing to take over the construction of the 9/11 memorial.

Sources said some members of the foundation's board have indicated they're open to the possibility that using the Port Authority could bring about savings and efficiency in construction.

"The foundation is committed to the best interests of the memorial and museum, which means building them in the most expedient and affordable way," foundation spokeswoman Lynn Rasic said yesterday. She added, "We believe that the Sciame process will help make sure that happens."

The Bloomberg administration is waiting to hear what time and cost savings the bistate agency could achieve.

The Port Authority, which owns the Trade Center site, has signaled its willingness to take on the memorial construction, if asked to do so and if the design and budget are worked out.

There's no reason to believe that the memorial will be built any cheaper because the Port Authority is working on it as opposed to a private company. Lest we forget, the Port Authority owns the site, Silverstein owns the lease rights to the entire site, and the Port Authority was supposed to be getting out of the real estate development game except where it is to enhance the Ports of New York and New Jersey (airports, harbor facilities, etc.). That's how Silverstein got involved in the WTC in the first place; the PA was supposed to shed its real estate holdings in order to focus on its core mission.

Technorati: World Trade Center, WTC, Pataki, LMDC, urban policy, Freedom Tower, IFC, International Freedom Center, spitzer, silverstein.