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No Date Set for Deconstruction to Begin Again on Deutsche Bank

by Bob Hennelly

NEW YORK, NY November 28, 2007 —Demolition of the contaminated Deutsche Bank building has not resumed more than three months after a fatal fire at the site killed two firemen.

REPORTER: The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation that runs the project has not set a re-start date and is still in negotiations with regulators on how to deal with fire damage. Governor Eliot Spitzer says the project will get back on track but that concerns over potential environmental contamination had to be resolved first.

SPITZER: We are moving on the timetable to insure that that building is deconstructed within the time frame set. On a visual level you are right. While there had been a floor a week something very visually satisfying to see that progress that has paused but we are on schedule to meet the deadlines we need.

REPORTER: Initially the 130 Liberty Street building damaged on September 11th was supposed to come down by the end of this year. 16 floors were removed but 25 remain. The site is slated for JP Morgan Chases's World headquarters and -- below ground -- a critical vehicle check point for the Freedom Tower complex. A criminal probe of the August Deutsche Bank fire continues.


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