The Freedom Tower

Watching ink dry, believe it or not, is slower than watching paint dry in New York.
All the ink than needs to dry on all and any Freedom Tower deals adds up to a whole lot of waiting and watching.
While the government suits rush to announce the newest benchmark in redevelopment of the World Trade Center, there are deeds and deals that are iffy at best. One of them is whether or not Freedom Tower Larry Silverstein developer believes his partners – the governors of New York and New Jersey will deliver the government tenants they promised this week. If they can’t it is Silverstein who will have to foot the bills of running and maintaining the Freedom Tower. According to press reports, Silverstein wants some assurances that he will be held harmless should he fail to meet some construction deadlines. This is no small thing for a developer and it is an especially significant clause in any contract for a high profile project like the construction of a building that has had more delays and complications than a troubled pregnancy.
Here’s an idea worth pondering: “These details are crucial,” say the folks at City Journal. “But that’s what negotiations are for, and Silverstein, having agreed to renegotiate his long-term lease in the first place, after enduring personal insults and slander from Pataki and Bloomberg, deserves to have his concerns addressed calmly and reasonably.
“Here’s the test. Will the PA accept Silverstein’s concerns in good faith and quietly go back to the table for wrap-up? Or will the PA, accompanied by Bloomberg and Pataki, start railing again for the media’s benefit about how unreasonable Silverstein is?”