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No Date Set to Resume Deconstruction of Deutsche Bank Building

by Bob Hennelly

NEW YORK, NY December 01, 2007 —No date has been set for deconstruction to resume at the former Deutsche Bank building, more than three months after a fatal fire there. WNYC's Bob Hennelly has this update.

REPORTER: The 41 story 9/11 ruin was supposed to be demolished by the end of next month. At the time of the August fire, 26 floors still remained. Now the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which owns the site, is mired in negotiations with regulators on how to deal with the fire damage. Peter Levenson is an adjacent landowner and says it is taking too long.

LEVENSON: Its a reminder of everything that is wrong with the process and everything that went wrong. And it is so unfortunate this has not been done.

REPORTER: Once the site is clear, the land goes to the Port Authority who has until September of next year to lease it to JP Morgan Chase for an office tower. But a substantial delay could complicate the deal and have impacts on the rest of the Freedom Tower complex development.

For WNYC, I'm Bob Hennelly


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