The organization that owns the space where the World Trade Centre towers stood is freeing itself of the term “freedom” to describe the signature skyscraper replacing the buildings shattered on September 11, 2001.
The change from Freedom Tower was revealed Thursday at a news conference where the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced the signing of the first commercial lease in the building to a Chinese company. The building is expected to be completed in late 2013.
“We’ve referred to the primary building planned for the site as One World Trade Centre — its legal name and street address — for almost two years now, as well as using the name the Freedom Tower,” said Stephen Sigmund, a spokesman for the Port Authority.
“Many will always refer to it as the Freedom Tower, but as the building moves out of the planning stage and into full construction and leasing, we believe that going forward it is most practical to market the building as One World Trade Centre.”
Ten of the building’s planned 108 above-ground floors have been built.
“The fact is, more than $3 billion of public money is invested in that building and, as a public agency, we have the responsibility to make sure it is completed and that we utilize the best strategy to make certain it is fully occupied,” Sigmund added.
He noted that the agency lost 84 colleagues in the September 11 attacks.
Adiganny's Blog 