The Rebuilding of Ground Zero, Part 27

On the heels of reports indicating that workers had to remove several tons worth of deficient concrete from the work done thus far at the Freedom Tower comes a report in the Post that confidential schematics were found tossed in a garbage bin near Ground Zero.

Two sets of confidential blueprints for the planned Freedom Tower, which is set to rise at Ground Zero, were carelessly dumped in a city garbage can on the corner of West Houston and Sullivan streets, The Post has learned.

Experts said the detailed, floor-by-floor schematics contain enough detail for terrorists to plot a devastating attack.

"Secure Document - Confidential," warns the title page on each of the two copies of the 150-page schematic that a homeless, recovering drug addict discovered in the public trash can.

"Any time a sensitive document is unintentionally left behind, it's a treasure trove for a potential adversary," aid Robert Strang, CEO of Investigative Management Group, a global security firm. "It enables them to look for vulnerabilities in design that they can target - an age-old military tactic."

Informed of what the homeless man, Mike Fleming, had found, shocked Port Authority officials called it an egregious security lapse.

"Violating these protocols is cause for serious disciplinary action - up to termination for employees and breach of contract and legal action for contractors," said Candace McAdams, PA director of media relations.

Meanwhile, inspections of cranes around the City revealed problems with one at the Goldman Sachs building across from Ground Zero. That crane remains closed with a stop-work order after inspectors found that the ties to the building weren't done according to the plans.

It also appears that the Santiago Calatrava designed transit hub will not be ready by the 2013 date.

While the economic slowdown and problems with major projects, including Ground Zero, the West Side Hudson Yards and Atlantic Yards get the headlines, other projects around the city are moving forward, and the construction business remains pretty strong this year and next, with a projected $25 billion to be underway in each of the next two years.

UPDATE:
A series of photos showing the state of things around Ground Zero, including the construction of the bathtub, excavations for Tower 2 and 3, and the Freedom Tower foundation work.