WTC Memorial Design Likely To Be Revised

New York officials yesterday announced a plan to reduce the size and scope of the World Trade Center Memorial. According to a recent cost estimate by the project’s contractor, Bovis Lend Lease, the project’s original $500 million budget had grown to almost $1 billion.

Led by New York developer Frank Sciame, the so-called “Sciame Report” is meant to maintain the project’s original budget. It suggests eliminating several elements of the Memorial scheme, although not as many as some expected.

The report will be available for public comment until June 27, and will be presented to the LMDC Board by the end of June. Its drafters say the suggestions will save about $285 million in construction and infrastructure costs, while other savings will lessen total costs to $510 million
The 14-page document suggests removing the memorial's entry pavilion and portions of its below-grade galleries, such as those surrounding the scheme’s waterfalls. The total size of the memorial museum would be shrunk from 150,000 square feet to 120,000 square feet. It also recommends modifying plans to preserve the original Twin Towers’ slurry wall, and eliminating the planned relocation of the Hudson River water line. It says that value engineering could bring Bovis’s estimate for infrastructure to $226.9 million, down from $301 million. The plan does preserve many of the memorial’s key elements, such as its massive voids, waterfalls, pools, Snøhetta’s above ground visitors center, and the underground passage to the memorial museum.

The report is the result of a month-long process headed by Sciame, whose companies, FJ Sciame Construction and Sciame Development, are two of the largest in the New York area. Sciame’s committee was appointed in mid-May by New York Governor George Pataki and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The group included structural engineer Richard Tomasetti, architects Thom Mayne, FAIA and Rick Cook, FAIA, and AIA New York chapter executive director Rick Bell.

The report also suggests that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey take responsibility for building the memorial, a role that is now entrusted to the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation. Acting foundation president Joe Daniels said in a statement released yesterday that this recommendation “can best serve the interests of the project.”

Memorial architect Michael Arad said in a statement that he would accept the committee’s proposals, although not without regret about “some painful cuts to the original design,” particularly the underground memorial galleries surrounding his scheme’s reflecting pools. Still, he seemed pleased that the proposal kept much of his scheme intact. “This proposal maintains key elements of the design—knitting the memorial site back into the fabric of the city, and marking with two large voids the enormous absence that we continue to feel,” he said. Referring to the underground galleries, he said, “While I am disappointed by this change, I recognize the imperative to move forward and begin construction of the memorial as soon as possible.”

Arad's initial memorial plan did not include underground galleries or an underground welcome center. The galleries were added when Arad proposed moving much of the memorial's plaza to street level. In early May Bovis estimated the new scheme to cost $972 million, a figure that was questioned by some officials. Foundation president Gretchen Dkystra stepped down later that month amidst criticisms over cost overruns and fundraising shortfalls.

The memorial is now set to open by September 11, 2009.