Getting it right for Ground Zero

TheStar.com - Getting it right for Ground Zero

I was reading the Toronto Star on the internet and came accross Christopher Hume's column for today. This article furthers the article I linked to from the New York Times previously on my blog.

I still have a hard time believing a Canadian was selected to do the waterworks within the two footprints of the former World Trade Center buildings. However, after reading Christopher Hume's column, I do believe this Canadian engineer will be up to the job. Why? Just take a look at the exhuberance in which the engineer has been considering he is just fine tuning a model for something that is not due to open until 2009 or even later. He has even invited the Governor of New York State (George Pataki) and other officials to his Richmond Hill, Ontario backyard to study the model. He is even taking suggestions of how to improve the model from wherever he can find it.

Now if only the people building the Freedom Tower had of listened to experts soon enough. The Freedom Tower is an office tower to be built in the Ground Zero area as well. The problem with the initial design of the Freedom Tower according to the New York City Police Department (NYPD) is that the building is mainly glass at its base as well as only being 25 feet away from the nearest street. This makes the Freedom Tower, according to the NYPD ripe for a possible truck bomb explosion. The arcitects and the New York City Mayor's office only took heed of the NYPD recently despite the Police Department putting out this warning in a memo over six months ago.
So at least we will know the engineer constructing the water memorial to the victims of 9/11 will at least have the model built correctly. Why? He is obviously dedicating more than four years to getting this project right the first time before starting construction. Too bad the same couldn't be said for the Freedom Tower which has already had its cornerstone laid late last year.