A New Blueprint

On a cool day last September, developer Larry Silverstein walked proudly through the lobby of 7 World Trade Center, the first of six skyscrapers planned for ground zero. He ticked off a few of the building's amenities--a lobby wall featuring computerized art; a sprinkler system with twice the capacity required by code--then made his pitch: "It is going to be the safest office building in America."

Silverstein has managed to convert that claim into exactly three tenants. Despite a strong advertising push that kicked off early this year, less than 20% of 7 World Trade Center's 1.7 million sq. ft. are spoken for. But at least the building is real. Of the commercial buildings, cultural centers and memorial planned for the site (10 in all), 7 World Trade Center is the only one that exists much beyond blueprint and imagination. In the 412 years since 9/11, ground zero has been excavated, purified and turned into a place of pilgrimage. When completed, the new World Trade Center memorial will attract 10 million visitors a year, its handlers expect. Ground zero has inspired dozens of books, several documentaries and passionate calls to rebuild and reclaim the hole in the ground with something both respectful and profitable. The result? Sixteen barren acres of good intentions.

Why is it taking so long? In part, ground zero's story is quintessentially New York City. It's a battle over real estate and turf. Silverstein, a tenacious developer best known for erecting the original 7 World Trade Center, has pitted himself against a billionaire businessman mayor; an ambitious Governor; grieving, conflicted families; and a small army of politically plugged-in bureaucrats--all with their own ideas about what should be built, how much it ought to cost and who should pay for it. Even Donald Trump makes a cameo. Trump, whom Silverstein once considered a friend, unveiled a competing proposal last summer, denouncing the Freedom Tower, the 1,776-ft. centerpiece, as "the worst pile-of-crap architecture I've seen in my life."

Farce aside, there's plenty at stake downtown. The towers destroyed in the attack covered 10 million sq. ft. of space and housed 25,000 employees. In total, 2,749 people died in the attacks--some leaping from the burning upper floors of the towers. The new World Trade Center will cost more than $15 billion and anchor the country's fourth largest business district after midtown Manhattan, the Loop in Chicago and downtown Washington. Construction on the Freedom Tower finally began last month, in a symbolic groundbreaking, after Silverstein came to an agreement with state and city agencies that will divide responsibility for different parts of ground zero.

Last week Silverstein added Richard Rogers and Fumihiko Maki to the roster of architects designing the office towers. "Enough words. Enough talk," Silverstein said after coming to terms with the Port Authority by giving up some control of the site. "Rebuild." The results of that rebuilding could determine whether the downtown core will ever regain importance as a business center.