"It's the first step back for Downtown," said Louis J. Menno, program director of the PATH Downtown Restoration for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, during BOMA/NY's Codes and Regulations/Government Affairs 2003 Conference and Trade Show held yesterday at the Marriott Marquis.

At an estimated cost of $544 million, the project involved removing and replacing all of the destroyed infrastructure including cables, tracks and duct banks. The Exchange Place station, which is the connection point for taking New Jersey commuters to the World Trade Center area, was reopened at the end of June. A permanent WTC PATH station is expected to open sometime in 2006.

Commenting that improved transportation will be a key toward rebuilding Lower Manhattan for both commercial and residential use, Menno is also working with the MTA to make direct lines east and west to connect subways, the PATH and ferry terminals.