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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 358-09
August 4, 2009

STATEMENT OF MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ON CONTINUED DELAYS AT WORLD TRADE CENTER SITE

"The prospect of additional and significant delays at the World Trade Center site detailed by the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center is simply unacceptable. It's been more than ten months since the Port Authority released a revised schedule with promises of long-needed transparency and accountability. The Port was to remove the existing barriers holding up progress at the site - it hasn't. It was to publish regular, real and public progress reports - it hasn't. And now the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center reports that not only is the project not back on track, but every part of it - including the Memorial - is likely to be delayed several years.

"This cannot continue. Last year, when the Port announced its new plan that would fix the problems at the site and lead to progress, it asked us all to hold it accountable. We are, and the results are intolerable. We must see immediate changes, starting with genuine, independent and constant oversight of the Port Authority's progress. Today, the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center is funded in part by the Port Authority and is part of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. We must delink it from the Port and the LMDC and have it provide regular, public audits on what is happening at the site.

"The Port Authority owns the World Trade Center site and is responsible for its redevelopment. That responsibility goes beyond the contractual agreements it has consistently failed to meet. The Port has an obligation to the entire nation to do everything possible to ensure the site is rebuilt, and, in particular, complete the Memorial by the tenth anniversary as promised. It's time it recommits itself to fulfilling that obligation."







MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser / Andrew Brent   (212) 788-2958




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