Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who presided over the ceremonial groundbreaking, says in a statement that the reconstruction of Fiterman Hall "will be the latest milestone in Lower Manhattan's remarkable comeback, and its transformation into a vibrant, 24/7, family-friendly community." It will contain 96 classrooms, office space, community gathering areas, a small conference center, an art gallery and a café.

Total cost of the project is $325 million, including $66 million for the deconstruction and decontamination of the old building, a process which was completed just before the Thanksgiving holiday. The city is providing $139 million of the total, with the balance coming from the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., according to a release.

Built as an office tower in the 1950s, the original 15-story Fiterman Hall was donated to the BMCC in 1993 by Miles and Shirley Fiterman. A $65-million renovation to convert Fiterman Hall for classroom use was nearly complete before the building was heavily damaged on 9/11; it was unoccupied at the time of the attacks and in fact was never used by the BMCC. The loss of the facility reduced the college's classroom space by about one-third. In the interim, the college's enrollment grew to more than twice the 10,000 students it was originally intended to accommodate.