New tower begins to rise at ground zero in New York ( 2003-12-12 14:43) (Xinhua)
The construction of the first new tower building began Thursday at the site
of the destruction of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks after a ceremonial
first beam was installed for the new 7 World Trade Center.
New York State Governor George Pataki and the developer, Larry
Silverstein, signed the steel beam before it was raised to support the tenant
floors of the building. The first 10 floors will house an electrical
substation to power Lower Manhattan.
The beam was draped with an American flag, donated by a US reserve
soldier who helped in the rescue and recovery effort after the Sept. 11 attacks.
The flag will be permanently installed in the building once the steel work
is finished.
The original 7 World Trade Center, an auxiliary building which housed
offices, an electrical substation and the city's emergency command center,
withstood the initial impact of the collapsing twin towers but toppled
itself later in the day after fires, fed by fuel tanks for backup
generators, raged out of control. It was built two decades after the twin
towers and is across the street from the 16 acres now known as "ground
zero."
The slim, 52-story tower with a glass facade will be taller than the
one destroyed in the attacks, but its 1.6 million square feet will
actually be less than the original. The building's base will be narrower
to restore Greenwich Street through the property, allowing better views and
letting in more natural light.
"Not only is it a brand new design, but it will incorporate safety
standards and be one of the safest high-rise buildings constructed
anywhere in the world, going beyond what New York City codes require. It will be
a green building. It is designed in such a way to be environmentally
sustainable," Governor Pataki said.
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