The New York Times reported earlier this month that a Justice Department spokesman could not say how much it cost to provide security during the detention and trial of Zacarias Moussaoui, which was held in Alexandria, VA. Moussaoui, who was convicted in 2006 of six counts of conspiracy in connection with the 9/11 attacks, is serving six consecutive life terms at a maximum-security facility in Colorado.

However, on the MoveTheTrial.com website, the association asserts that the cost of surrounding the Foley Square courthouse environs with uniformed police officers and 2,000 metal barriers "doesn't take into consideration the impact that these security measures will have on our economy, businesses, residents and visitors." Citing the area's 140,000 residents, 315,000 daily workers using about 100 million square feet of office space and eight million annual visitors, REBNY president Steven Spinola says in a statement that the trial "will wreak havoc on the surrounding community with the extensive security requirements and massive disruptions like permanent street closures."

The association notes that following 9/11, "some neighborhoods such as Chinatown suffered serious economic losses in business activity as a result of the extensive security measures in Lower Manhattan. New York City, especially Lower Manhattan, simply cannot afford the trauma and financial cost associated with this terrorist trial." REBNY predicts that a prolonged period of reduced pedestrian access would lead to "store closings and job losses. Diminished commercial activity and business closures impact communities with a high percentage of low-income households, such as Chinatown, and the many affordable housing complexes in Lower Manhattan."

REBNY says that the trial could be moved to other locations within the Southern District, "where security measures can be more easily met with less impact on the surrounding community." The association suggests upstate venues such as Ossining Correctional Facility or Sullivan Correctional Facility, "both maximum security facilities, or the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, a medium security facility." It takes issue with the suggestion to move the trial to Governor's Island, which it calls "a far better option than Foley Square," but one that's still located within the city, "which raises serious concerns."

For the moment, the Obama administration appears to be standing pat on its decision, although published reports say that it's looking at other options. "Our federal courts have a long history of safely and securely handling international terrorism cases, and no district has a longer history than the Southern District of New York in Manhattan," a Justice Department spokesman told the Times. The 1993 World Trade Center bombers were tried in 1996 in New York City at 40 Center St. in Foley Square.