Summary
In the aftermath of 9/11, Americans came together in a way not seen for a generation, pledging unity to rebuild after the horrific loss of the Twin Towers. People were signing up to go to war; rescue workers were laboring to clear rubble. But instead of becoming a rallying symbol in the fight against terrorism, Ground Zero has been plagued by intense conflict and controversy from the very start. "Battle for Ground Zero" goes behind the scenes of this fight to rebuild, revealing how grieving families, commercial interests, and politicking bureaucrats clashed at every step of the way, confounding progress and infuriating the public. Since the fall of 2001, author Elizabeth Greenspan has been documenting the drama--conducting interviews with neighborhood residents, architects, officials, rescue workers, and victims' relatives, as well as key New York players like über-developer Larry Silverstein, and Governor Pataki. Here she provides a warts-and-all look at this pivotal decade--from the bitter feuding between city officials and victims' families, to the endless controversy over the memorial design, to the fraught tenth anniversary, against a still-unfinished building. Publishing just as the memorial is finally completed, "Battle for Ground Zero" is an exhaustively researched reminder of how long it took to put a brave face on the horror of 9/11.
Contents
Preface: America the Re-build-iful
Act I, Visions and visionaries, 2001-2003. People come ; The leaseholder and the landowner ; Architects ; The viewing platform ; The fence ; The People vs the Port Authority
Act II. Divisions and delays, 2003-2008. Lady Liberty and the Freedom Tower ; Families ; The Memorial ; The Freedom Center ; Things fall behind
Act III. Dealmakers, 2008-2011. Anti-monumentalism ; The Memorial and the Mayor ; The Islamic Center ; The Museum ; A death, the Dursts, and an anniversary
Epilogue, 2011- .