The Freedom Tower

AmNew York is calling recent fiascoes at the Deutsche Bank site the tail that wagged the WTC dog.
“The place had already become a nest of fiascoes and everyone knew it,” the website says. “The mysteries of the selection of contractors had been raised before — as had the hazards of falling debris from the site. Some state officials seemed to suggest in statements earlier in the week that the drive to protect surrounding air quality and keep toxins from escaping the building ended up unintentionally compromising fire safety.

But the concerns are even more complex than that. For practical reasons, the problem-plagued toxic tower that formerly housed the Deutsche Bank must come down for the wider Ground Zero plan, including the so-called Freedom Tower, to proceed as scheduled. This has to do with the engineering details of underground sewer lines and protective walls and construction vehicle access. There are many moving parts to the overall plan as it stands.

‘ “This building has become the tail that wags the dog,’ “ said one infrastructure expert.

Thursday one official acknowledged a ‘potential” for delay due to the blaze and its aftermath, but added, “we really do not know yet.’ The wider plans called for leveling the structure at 130 Liberty St. by the end of this year.

Another insider expressed hope, however, that an emerging consensus view — take down the damned tower as quickly as possible — will come to prevail and move the dismantling along.”