Just as no one could ever have imagined the devastation that occurred on September 11, no one could have imagined that the City would be confronted with the need to redevelop a large swath of Lower Manhattan. In response to this incredible physical challenge, literally thousands of building community members are now or will become actively involved in virtually every aspect of the rebuilding.

Working in the spirit of collaboration and with a community-centered mindset, industry members already are fully engaged in a citywide effort to ensure that Lower Manhattan experiences a glorious rebirth. Some industry members are working to create a more modern and secure infrastructure. Others are involved in a process sure to yield a diverse residential, cultural and business community that reconnects to the rest of the City and the region through improvements to the highway and mass transit systems. Still others are weighing in on the make-up of a memorial that must serve as a stirring reminder for future generations of both the tragic loss of life and indefatigable human spirit that the site now represents.

Guiding Principles
“Beginning in the first weeks after September 11, architects, planners, engineers, artists, urban designers, graphic designers, and landscape architects came together. As the group grew to more than 350 individuals and 20 civic and professional organizations, we adopted the name New York New Visions,” notes Building Congress Chairman Marilyn Jordan Taylor. “Working in an open and inclusive process, we created a series of urban design and planning principles aimed at bringing about a rebuilt and revitalized Lower Manhattan, an urban district offering both memorialization and an inspiring future.These principles were offered to public officials and all interested groups and individuals as input to the ongoing discussions about how to shape and create an ex-ceptional memorial and a great urban place. It's a great example of the ways in which the design and construction community has pulled together to respond to the unthinkable.”

Adds Parsons Brinckerhoff Chairman Robert Prieto, who Co-chaired with Taylor an Infrastructure Task Force set up by the New York City Partnership within a week of the attack,“We realized very quickly that we needed to look past the immediate cleanup and, as an industry, take the lead in deciding what comes next, especially in terms of infrastructure. Our efforts which included taking an inventory of damaged systems and recommending immediate steps and long-term goals helped restore a measure of confidence in the business community about the City's ability to respond to the various challenges.”

Urban Planning
The members of the Infrastructure Task Force, New York New Visions and similar coalitions have succeeded in their ultimate mission – to begin the dialogue, establish priorities and inform the public of the challenges that lie ahead.

This work has helped create a broad consensus leading into the official urban planning phase, which commenced when The Port Authority of NY & NJ and the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. announced the selection of Beyer Blinder Belle as the lead planning firm. A study of planning and transportation options is due in July and a preferred land use plan by December. The land use plan will include suggested placement of street layouts, a new transportation hub and residential, commercial, and office components.

Transportation
The terrorist attacks initially crippled the City's transportation system. It was incumbent upon the building industry to work quickly with the public sector to patch together a system that would restore daily commuter flow. In addition, several design, engineering and contracting firms have been working round-the-clock with the Port Authority and the MTA to restore vital service to the PATH system and to replace New York City transit stations destroyed on September 11. At present, the work is proceeding ahead of schedule.

“When given the necessary approvals, this industry – the architects, engineers, contractors and skilled labor – can perform miracles,” states Building Congress President, Richard T. Anderson. “We saw this with the recovery effort, and we are now seeing it with the restoration of mass transit. Under normal circumstances, reconstruction of the 1 & 9 World Trade Center subway station might have taken two years. At this point, it looks as if the industry will have it up and running in a quarter of the time.”

While work continues on the subways, commuter trains, roadways and pedestrian crossings, a constructive dialogue is now talking place concerning the future flow of people and goods in Lower Manhattan. Commutes to Downtown had always been a source of frustration, and while many enhancements had been suggested over the years, the prohibitive cost and the limitations placed by existing infrastructure made them virtually unachievable. That has changed since September 11.

“We have before us a responsibility to virtually recreate our transportation systems in Lower Manhattan,” notes STV Incorporated President and CEO Dominick M. Servedio, who is serving on the LMDC Transportation & Commuters Advisory Committee. “Dreams long deferred are now possible and we must seize the opportunity. Now is the time to explore big ideas such as the creation of a Grand Central for Lower Manhattan, and other major transit involvements. This is critical if we are to achieve our goal of creating an even more vibrant community.”

Utilities
The ongoing infrastructure work in Lower Manhattan very well may be the biggest underground construction project in New York since the first subway was built a century ago. Various construction crews, utilities and public agencies are making substantial progress in replacing critical infrastructure and wherever possible, constructing the framework for a newer and more advanced telecommunications and electrical network to serve the City for the next 100 years. The World Trade Center itself consumed as much electricity as the city of Albany and the number of phone lines lost by Verizon matches the number contained in many large cities. The biggest challenge for the engineers and construction workers, however, is the complex and interconnected nature of the City's infrastructure, including the intermingling of electrical cables, water mains, steam pipes, subway stations and various other underground necessities in compacted areas. For the engineers in charge, the ongoing work requires unprecedented creativity and patience, as each solution seemingly presents
a host of new challenges.

Moving forward, members of the building industry, led by the engineering community, are looking at ways to elevate Lower Manhattan's telecommunications and energy infrastructure to 21st Century standards in terms of capacity, resilience and access to alternate systems that can be swiftly activated in
the event of disaster.

World Trade Center
In an encouraging development, initial work has begun at 7 World Trade Center. According to plans from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the future 52-story glass structure will house two critical Con Edison substations and serve as an exciting new regional gateway to Lower Manhattan. Developer Larry Silverstein fittingly selected Tishman Construction Corporation, which built the original World Trade Center complex and 7 WTC, to manage construction of the new project.
“Construction at 7 World Trade sends a tangible message to the world that

New York City is moving quickly to revitalize Lower Manhattan,” said Tishman Construction President and CEO Daniel R. Tishman. “It also demonstrates that great things can be accomplished if the public and private sectors are engaged and working together.”

Spirit of Collaboration
“The success of the Ground Zero cleanup was due in large part to an
unprecedented degree of cooperation among the various City, State and Federal agencies as well as the private sector companies that were brought in. I believe this bodes well for the rebuilding process,” says Peter Marchetto, President of Bovis Lend Lease, which was the leading Ground Zero contractor.

A number of building community leaders are prominent members of the LMDC and are active on the corporation's Development and Transportation & Commuter Advisory Councils. To assist in the planning process, the LMDC and Port Authority also have retained a number of industry firms with expertise in fields such as transportation, cost estimation, landscaping, structural engineering and environmental issues.

“It has been encouraging to see the various branches of government working
cooperatively and in a broad-based, transparent and inclusive manner,” comments Richard Anderson. “We are pleased that all parties are making excellent use of our industry's expertise and talent.”

Ready, Willing and Able
No matter the final decision in terms of a fitting memorial, an intermodal transportation hub, a technologically superior power/telecommunications network and a mixed-use development, the building community stands ready to make those plans a reality. Working in one of the world's most challenging physical environments, the industry has proven time and again that its innovative spirit and technical achievements can conquer virtually any difficulty. With greater attention focused on the shaping of New York, there has emerged a better understanding and appreciation among residents for what the entire building community contributes to New York City.

Edward J. Malloy, President of the Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York and LMDC member, promises his members will rebuild the City. “No one holds the American flag higher than the building trades, and no group is more committed to New York City. Our members were on site within minutes of the attack, and we will remain until the rebuilding is complete.” Referring to his members lost in the attack, Malloy added, “In life they built this City, and it is in life that we will rebuild this City for them. Rebuilding will make us whole.”