The Rebuilding of Ground Zero, Part 21

 

The Survivor's Staircase, which is one of the last remaining remnants of the WTC complex above ground, is being moved this weekend to make way for additional construction at Ground Zero.

That staircase — 37 stairs that once connected the outdoor plaza outside the twin towers to the street below — survived Sept. 11 and remains the only above-ground remnant of the trade center complex.

After years of debate over whether and how to preserve the structure, though, the staircase will be moved this weekend for the first time. The stairs are moving about 200 feet west on the site, to be stored until they can be installed at the Sept. 11 memorial.

"I would have liked it if they could have left it where it was," said Canavan, 48. "I realize they couldn't do that."

Preservationists and survivors of the 2001 terrorist attack began campaigning years ago to leave the staircase as it stood, while developers refined plans for office towers, a transit hub and Sept. 11 memorial on the 16-acre site. The staircase, which had weighed 175 tons and stood 22 feet, sits in the middle of the footprint of a 1,278-foot skyscraper, one of five being built to replace the destroyed towers.

The staircase sits where the Sir Norman Foster designed Tower 2 (200 Greenwich) would be located.

Meanwhile, the itinerary for Pope Benedict will include a visit to Ground Zero during his trip to the US in April.

UPDATE:
I added the photo above of the staircase, which gives you a sense of the size and location.