Weisbrod championed transportation as seminal to Lower Manhattan's recovery, indicating that land beneath the World Trade Center footprints should be incorporated into that plan. "It is very important to use the below-ground area of the footprints for infrastructure purposes, and perhaps other purposes as well," he said.

By all indications, he said, the behind-the scenes redevelopment process appears to be progressing smoothly. Weisbrod surprisingly told attendees that a commerce and resident consensus has apparently been reached. "Both the residents and businesses feel the same way about how Lower Manhattan should be redeveloped," he said.

Also touched on was the "white paper draft" of a contingency plan issued by the Federal Reserve Bank, Securities and Exchange Commission and New York State Comptroller's office, proposing companies secure backup space in the event of another terrorist attack. "Some read this as a call for companies to disaggregate," said Weisbrod. "This cuts two ways, because Midtown will be the beneficiary of some of this backup space companies may take." He cited the Bank of New York's partial move to Brooklyn as an example of the trend to decentralize, calling it "a positive growth for the business interrelationships throughout the boroughs."