When the timeline of the contemplation space ran long past the upcoming 10^th anniversary, the engineers along with Ward and the Port Authority, returned to the drawing board and reworked the museum in reverse order placing much of it underneath the plaza area, therefore allowing a roof-down build. This process will facilitate the timely completion of the plaza by fall of next year. On September 11^th, 2011, Ward said, "The memorial will be open, waterfalls will flow," referring to the two man-made waterfalls which will adorn the footprints of the original Towers 1 and 2.

Ward also explained that in spite of the gravity with which everyone approached the WTC's reconstruction, there was a lot of hindrance from the reality the emotional touchstone, not only for the city but for the country as well. He explained that the rhetoric of patriotism and national pride, at the time after 9/11, some genuine and some for political gain, made it hard to hear authentic voices of concern about rebuilding an iconic structure in downtown New York City. Ward pointed out, "Rebuilding in New York is not easy," regardless of symbolism.

He pointed out that in the rush to get that emotional center back to New York, "we stumbled." Admitting that after a lot of negotiation, there was not much more than renderings of the future structures. Then, after Paterson stepped in and with Mayor Bloomberg's continual support, the plans began moving forward again and Ward said that a major turning point was something as simple as renaming the tower.

Ward related that the moniker "Freedom Tower" made it difficult to gains leases from private corporations and that the change to a neutral "World Trade Center 1," made it easier. "At the end of the day, it was a construction project and we had to treat it that way," he explained. "New York needed the WTC, not a political message."

Stressing Larry Silverstein's point from yesterday's group announcement, Ward pointed to the new site as a "24/7 community" saying that there was still more to be done. He said that he approaches the future of the site with a "heavy dose of humility and a watchful eye," but that the commitments from the Durst Organization and Conde Nast were landmarks for a growing confidence in downtown.

As importantly as the return of business--primary to many business leaders that are part of ABNY--Ward warmed to the return of normality in downtown where "pit" and "hole in the ground" are no longer part of downtown's lexicon. The plaza, he explained, will not only serve as a place to remember the tragedy, but will become "a shortcut on a rainy day," like so many other places within the city. "It will become a part of all of those conversations."

NEW YORK CITY-"No matter who they are or where they came from, they are all New Yorkers," Christopher Ward, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, contemplated the victims of 9/11 at an Association for a Better New York breakfast. The keynote speech was highlighted with decries against "monumentalism" and emotional decision-making, as he walked the room through the arduous process, which eventually resulted in the WTC's final plan.

The luminaries of New York's development community commiserated at the ABNY's gathering held at Cipriani's on Wall Street. Fresh off the uplifting news that the World Trade Center's development will be funded and completed in full, Ward thanked Governor Paterson—who was not in attendance—for appointing him to his position, as well as refocusing the WTC negotiations when they were stalled.

Ward noted that it was at this stage where the key players assessed the list of problems and began turning them into a plan for completion. He explained that as it stood dormant for many months, now the "site is defined by the continual hum of workers."

The museum has some of its artifacts in place as of yesterday since the two tridents, supports from the towers, were set in place inside what will become the 9/11 museum. Those pieces in particular needed to be positioned before the roof was added. Ward pointed out that even this roof was an issue that had been reevaluated during the construction process as the team, literally, turned the plans upside down.

When the timeline of the contemplation space ran long past the upcoming 10^th anniversary, the engineers along with Ward and the Port Authority, returned to the drawing board and reworked the museum in reverse order placing much of it underneath the plaza area, therefore allowing a roof-down build. This process will facilitate the timely completion of the plaza by fall of next year. On September 11^th, 2011, Ward said, "The memorial will be open, waterfalls will flow," referring to the two man-made waterfalls which will adorn the footprints of the original Towers 1 and 2.

Ward also explained that in spite of the gravity with which everyone approached the WTC's reconstruction, there was a lot of hindrance from the reality the emotional touchstone, not only for the city but for the country as well. He explained that the rhetoric of patriotism and national pride, at the time after 9/11, some genuine and some for political gain, made it hard to hear authentic voices of concern about rebuilding an iconic structure in downtown New York City. Ward pointed out, "Rebuilding in New York is not easy," regardless of symbolism.

He pointed out that in the rush to get that emotional center back to New York, "we stumbled." Admitting that after a lot of negotiation, there was not much more than renderings of the future structures. Then, after Paterson stepped in and with Mayor Bloomberg's continual support, the plans began moving forward again and Ward said that a major turning point was something as simple as renaming the tower.

Ward related that the moniker "Freedom Tower" made it difficult to gains leases from private corporations and that the change to a neutral "World Trade Center 1," made it easier. "At the end of the day, it was a construction project and we had to treat it that way," he explained. "New York needed the WTC, not a political message."

Stressing Larry Silverstein's point from yesterday's group announcement, Ward pointed to the new site as a "24/7 community" saying that there was still more to be done. He said that he approaches the future of the site with a "heavy dose of humility and a watchful eye," but that the commitments from the Durst Organization and Conde Nast were landmarks for a growing confidence in downtown.

As importantly as the return of business--primary to many business leaders that are part of ABNY--Ward warmed to the return of normality in downtown where "pit" and "hole in the ground" are no longer part of downtown's lexicon. The plaza, he explained, will not only serve as a place to remember the tragedy, but will become "a shortcut on a rainy day," like so many other places within the city. "It will become a part of all of those conversations."