The Deutsche Bank Building at 130 Liberty Street

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation is committed to taking down the Deutsche Bank Building in a manner that is protective of the health and safety of everyone who lives and works in the area. Furthermore, we are committed to finding as many potential human remains and items of personal property as possible, and to ensuring that any findings of this type are treated with the utmost dignity, care and respect.

Our search process has been successful in identifying even the smallest remains -- often a centimeter or less in size. The city’s Chief Medical Examiner is confident that the process established with the LMDC will ensure that remains are found and handled in a way that is respectful and sensitive to the needs of the families.

• When did LMDC acquire the former Deutsche Bank Building at 130 Liberty Street?
• Were there any searches for remains prior to the LMDC taking ownership?
• When did LMDC crews first find human remains?
• Were there any searches for remains between August 31, 2005, and the start of preliminary abatement and scaffolding work in September, 2005?
• Why are LMDC crews finding remains if there had been inspections of the building prior to the LMDC taking ownership?
• Where have the remains been found?
• What did LMDC work crews do once remains were found in September of 2005?
• Why have more remains been found recently?
• What happens with potential human remains or items of property that are found at 130 Liberty Street?
• Who handles notification of the finding of remains or property?

Q: When did LMDC acquire the former Deutsche Bank Building at 130 Liberty Street? Top ^
A: After negotiations between Deutsche Bank and their insurers failed to generate an appropriate plan to deconstruct the building and redevelop the site, the LMDC stepped in to acquire the property on August 31, 2004. The purpose for our acquisition of 130 Liberty Street is to expand the World Trade Center Site in order to implement the World Trade Center Memorial and Redevelopment Plan. Prior to the LMDC taking ownership, the damaged and contaminated building had languished for several years in litigation, without an appropriate deconstruction plan.

Q: Were there any searches for remains prior to the LMDC taking ownership? Top ^
A: It is our understanding that crews from the FDNY and other City agencies had previously, on more than one occasion, searched the building for remains.

Q: When did LMDC crews first find human remains? Top ^
A: LMDC contract workers first discovered potential human remains in September of 2005, during preliminary abatement and scaffolding work.

Q: Were there any searches for remains between August 31, 2005, and the start of preliminary abatement and scaffolding work in September, 2005? Top ^
A: No. The LMDC could not authorize crews to search the building or thoroughly search through contaminated material prior to regulatory approval of the deconstruction plan, which took approximately one year to formulate. After final approval of the deconstruction plan was received from the EPA and other regulators on September 7, 2005, crews immediately began working in the building and soon after made the first discovery of remains.

Q: Why are LMDC crews finding remains if there had been inspections of the building prior to the LMDC taking ownership? Top ^
A: In order to safely deconstruct 130 Liberty Street, the building must first be abated. Abatement is the process of thoroughly cleaning and removing contaminated materials. It is because of this very thorough process required by the deconstruction plan that remains and other materials not evident during previous searches have been found.

Q: Where have the remains been found? Top ^
A: Remains have largely been found in a layer of stone on the roof known as the ballast, and in other areas that would have been exposed to falling debris from the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

Q: What did LMDC work crews do once remains were found in September of 2005? Top ^
A: LMDC work crews immediately stopped work in the area where remains were found, and contacted the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) who then dispatched a forensic anthropologist to the site.

The LMDC and the OCME jointly established protocols for the handling of potential human remains, which all workers at the site are required to read and sign. These protocols include immediately stopping work in a given area, contacting the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the New York City Police Department’s Chief Property Clerk.

• Click here for complete list of protocols.

Q: Why have more remains been found recently? Top ^
A: More remains have been found recently because the searches have been so thorough.

After an increase in the finding of potential human remains during the thorough cleaning of the stone that comprises the roof ballast, the LMDC implemented an even more thorough search plan for the roof, which was derived through meetings and discussions with family members of 9/11 victims, contractors working on site, the FDNY and the OCME.

In early April, the LMDC implemented this new search plan, which included OCME and FDNY personnel, an anthropologist from LMDC’s environmental consulting firm, and retired firefighters joining in the search. The painstaking work of searching every inch of roof ballast is taking place with crews on their hands and knees going through the stone. This has yielded a greater number of findings in recent weeks.

As a result of the LMDC implemented search techniques, the protocols for finding of potential human remains have been updated to reflect the on site OCME and FDNY personnel and the LMDC hired archeologist. All on-site personnel participating in the examination and work associated with ballast removal from the roof are required to review and follow these protocols.

• Complete updated protocols, click here.

Q: What happens with potential human remains or items of property that are found at 130 Liberty Street? Top ^
A: Anything that resembles potential human remains is immediately turned over the OCME for testing to first determine if they are in fact human. The OCME then undertakes DNA testing for potential identification. All potential property is turned over to the New York City Property Clerk.

Q: Who handles notification of the finding of remains or property? Top ^
A: The LMDC defers to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in regards to notification of the finding of remains, and to the office of the NYPD Property Clerk in regards to notification of the finding of property.