by: Jessica Sheridan Assoc. AIA LEED AP
Looking north on Washington Street.
Jessica Sheridan
While protests heated up a couple of blocks away, the construction activity at the World Trade Center site was relatively quiet on the 9/11 anniversary. There were no groundbreaking announcements (literally and figuratively); no major setbacks; no new developments. Construction is underway and there is very little of the “hole in the ground” remaining. Perhaps it was the calm before the storm of events planned for the 10th anniversary next year, but I appreciated the solemnity and stillness this year.
I happened to walk by the site a couple of days before 9/11. As I turned off Rector Street and north onto Washington Street, I stopped in my tracks as I looked north toward Ground Zero. There, directly in line with the street, were the two steel “tridents” from the original World Trade Center towers. It was an incredible sight to see as the construction around them is literally enveloping them as they stand in place. It was poetic, a metaphor for the city with so much activity around a site meant for quiet contemplation. As I turned the corner again I felt hopeful that despite all of the controversies, the buildings being built seem to be respectful of the intention behind the master plan.