World Trade Center Site Overview

Planning Milestones
General Project Plan as Amended February 14, 2007

Refined Master Plan is Released-September 2003

On September 17, 2003, LMDC, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Studio Daniel Libeskind presented the refined master site plan to the public. This announcement served as an important step forward in turning the Libeskind vision into a reality. While preserving the essential elements of the original Studio Daniel Libeskind plan, Memory Foundations, the refined plan reconciles issues regarding commercial office space, retail development, the transportation network, and the site's public spaces. The refined plan shifts portions of commercial space off the site, creates a new park in the area south of Liberty Street, and moves truck servicing infrastructure away from the memorial area.
Learn more about the Refined Master Plan

Studio Daniel Libeskind is Selected-February 2003

On February 27, 2003, Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg announced the selection of Memory Foundations by Studio Daniel Libeskind as the plan for the World Trade Center site. The inspirational design by Studio Daniel Libeskind leaves portions of the slurry wall exposed as a symbol of the strength and endurance of American democracy, while reserving a majestic setting for the memorial, museum and cultural spaces in the area known as the bathtub. A 1,776 tall spire creates a powerful new skyline for Lower Manhattan, while the bustling activity down below reaffirms life in the aftermath of tragedy.

Learn more about the Selected Design as of February 2003

Innovative Design Study: Two Designs Selected for Further Consideration-February 2003

On February 4, 2003, LMDC and Port Authority announced that two design concepts for the World Trade Center site were under final consideration: the Memory Foundations design by Studio Daniel Libeskind, and the World Cultural Center design by THINK, a team led by Shigeru Ban, Frederick Schwartz, Ken Smith and Rafael Viñoly.

Learn more about the Two Designs Selected for Further Consideration

Innovative Design Study: Nine Initial Designs-December 2002

Upon the release of nine initial designs for the World Trade Center site on December 18th, 2002, LMDC launched Plans in Progress, one of the most ambitious outreach campaigns ever undertaken. The intensive effort to engage the public in the planning process featured: an exhibit of the designs at the World Financial Center Winter Garden that drew over 100,000 visitors, presentation of the plans on the Internet, drawing millions of visitors to our site; a documentary of the teams describing each design in their own words; two public meetings simulcast to all five boroughs and Long Island, and a separate public meeting in New Jersey.

Each design was evaluated against a series of quantitative and qualitative factors, including the comprehensive record of public comment. Extensive feasibility analysis was conducted by LMDC and the Port Authority, working closely with the New York State Department of Transportation and seven additional sub-consultants. The evaluation was based on the following factors, including public comment, and numerous subcategories:

• Memorial Setting: How well does it provide an appropriate memorial setting?
  
• Program: Does the design meet the program requirements?
  
• Parcels/Street Pattern: How well does the design establish practical street, block and development parcels?
  
• Public Response: What is the public response to the design?
  
• Vision: How well does it support the Mayor's Vision Plan for Lower Manhattan?
  
• Connectivity: How well does the design connect with its surroundings?
  
• Phasing: Does the design allow for phased development over time?
  
• Public Realm: How effective is the addition to the public realm?
  
• Private Development: Does the design provide an attractive environment for private development?
  
• Unresolvable Issues: Are there components that are unresolvable?
  
• Resolvable Issues: How significant are the issues that can be resolved?
  
• Cost: What is the estimated cost of publicly funded elements of the plan?

LMDC and Port Authority staff were present at a series of public hearings held in New York and New Jersey, and reviewed in detail the thousands of public comments solicited through Plans in Progress.

Learn more about the Nine Initial Designs

Innovative Design Study is Released-Summer 2002

In the summer of 2002, following the release of the six preliminary design concepts, LMDC initiated a worldwide search for design and planning professionals to propose a visionary land use plan for the World Trade Center area. The challenge, among the greatest of our time, was to transform a 16-acre void into a place where loss is remembered and life is celebrated.

LMDC received 406 submissions from around the globe. Seven teams were selected from among some of the world's most talented architects, planners and designers because of their bold ideas and strong beliefs. The seven selected submissions were comprised of both single firms and teams of architects and designers including Lord Norman Foster; a team with Richard Meier, Peter Eisenman, Charles Gwathmey, and Steven Holl; Peterson/Littenberg, a team led by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill; Studio Daniel Libeskind; the THINK team, led by Shigeru Ban, Frederick Schwartz, Ken Smith and Rafael Viñoly; and UNITED architects, led by Reiser + Umemoto RUR Architecture, Kevin Kennon, and Greg Lynn FORM. These teams were charged with creating a soaring vision, firmly rooted in the complexities of the World Trade Center site and guided by a program that had been shaped by months of public comment. The program called for, among other elements, an appropriate setting for a memorial, a bold new skyline to rise in Lower Manhattan, a better-connected downtown and a range of uses on the site.

Learn more about the Innovative Design Study Program

Preliminary Design Concepts-July 2002

In the summer of 2002, LMDC released six initial design concepts for the World Trade Center site, prompting widespread public discussion of issues surrounding the vision for the site. In addition to broad issues relating to the future of Lower Manhattan, much of the conversation at the LMDC-sponsored Listening to the City event in July 2002, was focused on soliciting public input regarding these six initial concepts.

Learn more about the Preliminary Design Concepts