The Rebuilding of Ground Zero, Part 156

1 WTC (the Freedom Tower) is poised to be the tallest building in New York City within the next two weeks. It's just a matter of time before the steel perimeter reaches its apex and work can proceed on the roof and antenna levels.

"The World Trade Center perimeter steel is up the 100th floor," said Foye, at a press conference following the authority's monthly board meeting today. "I think if not today, tomorrow, next week, shortly we're gonna be the tallest building in Manhattan, eclipsing even the Empire State Building."

The Empire State Building is 1,250 feet tall, according to the Skyscraper Museum.

The tower will eventually reach 1,776 feet, but that includes a roughly 400 foot high antenna mast.

Meanwhile, there's been little progress made on resolving the financing and construction of the museum complex adjacent to the tower. That means that the completion date will continue to slide later and later and will likely mean at least a 2013 open at the earliest. It should have been opened around 3Q 2012.

At the same time, work is proceeding on the podiums for 2 and 3 WTC, though no word has been given as to whether they will be built out to their anticipated heights or just built for the retail space on the lower levels.

4 WTC construction continues, though at a slower pace.

Infrastructure for Greenwich Street, which runs atop the 1/9 subway box continues to be installed, and it will be a matter of time before that critical project is completed.