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October 15, 2005
For Trade Center Builders, the Future Starts With a Very Old Number
What makes that height so important is that it determines the relationship of the plaza, which must be tabletop flat, to everything around it: the Freedom Tower, the PATH terminal and the surrounding streets and sidewalks. But setting the dimension is not easy on a site that slopes down more than 20 feet as it approaches the Hudson River.
The plaza itself needs to be as close to the sidewalk as possible, no more than three and a half feet higher or lower, so that it can be seen and approached easily by all visitors--including the disabled--from all directions, without walls or long flights of stairs.
"The appearance of the memorial as well as the accessibility of the memorial were paramount," said John P. Cahill, chief of staff to Gov. George E. Pataki and the top downtown redevelopment official.
Posted by Michelle at October 15, 2005 06:17 PM