ref
Master Poster
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2006
- Messages
- 2,685
Hi. I'm still here. Almost 7 years have passed, but I'm still here. It's been frustrating, really. People have started to hate me. Larry Silverstein said a couple of years ago that “Fiterman Hall has been the bane of my existence". The community has long expressed outrage that such a contaminated eye sore like me has remained in their midst with no end in sight. It's not my fault, that I was damaged! It's not my fault, that this entire process has been so full of obstacles!
Here is what I looked like on May, 2008:
The City University of New York (CUNY) and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York have plans to first abate and decontaminate me and then demolish me. But political inertia, insurance battles, and strict regulations from the state Environmental Protection Agency about how to dismantle the structure without releasing lethal toxins into the air have played major roles in holding up my demolition.
Money has also been an issue. CUNY institution has long been unable to secure enough money to demolish the structure and build anew. CUNY is estimating the cost of the entire project at $340 million. Costs have increased, which has created problems.
But now there are actual plans and progress! Decontamination and cleaning began on March 13, 2008 following regulator approval. Debris and walls removal is now taking place along with other preparations through summer 2008; 40-man crews are working double shifts daily.
Deconstruction will follow decontamination; expected to begin late summer 2008 and continue for approximately four months. Eventually, like the Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty St., I have to be dismantled floor by floor from the top down.
But how did I get to this point? Let me tell you a little something about myself! Here is what I looked like before the damage.
I am a 1950s-era 370,000 square foot, 15 story concrete-encased structural steel frame building with cinder-concrete floor slabs with draped steel mesh. My construction was completed in 1959. I was used as a classroom building by the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) prior to September 11, 2001. I was undergoing a gut-rehab including extensive asbestos abatement,that was nearly complete on September 11, 2001.
But then, as you all know, some bad things happened and my buddy WTC 7 collapsed. He couldn't help it. I still miss that fella. Debris hit me. The southern half of the west facade and most of the south facade were severely damaged or destroyed, but there was no fire.
I still remember it like it was yesterday.. Portions of the south facade from the 15th floor collapsed. a vertical section of the perimeter wall extending 5 floors down from the setback at the center of the south facade was raked away. Local collapse also occurred at the southwest corner. The majority of the glass panes were knocked out on the south façade, in a triangular pattern that extended to the full width of the base. Floors 9 through 14 had two collapsed bays, and floors 3 through 6 had three collapsed bays. A considerable amount of debris was on the 8th floor.
Needless to say, I was hurt. In the initial weeks after the attack, the gaping holes were filled in from the inside, protecting the outside environment from seeping toxins, and black netting was erected. The City of New York, DASNY, CUNY, and others took steps to clean out some of the debris, close breaches in the south façade, and stabilize the structure. Because mold and WTC dust contaminated me, I became uninhabitable. And they did nothing for years! They let me become the hated one! I'm glad they are doing something now.
I will be gone, but I don't want to be remembered as a sad building everyone hated. A new building will replace this old structure. The new building will be approximately the same size as myself. The new facility will provide space for classrooms, computer labs, offices, assembly and meeting rooms, and other spaces to accommodate college programs and community functions. It will once again be used by the Community College.
Architect for the project is Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. Take a look at the new design!
There is also a website dedicated to the renewal project. Check out the slide-show!
http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/fitermannews/
You want something related to the conspiracies? I hate them conspiracies. I was hit by goddamn debris from a building that didn't fall into it's own footprint. Nuff said.
Sigh. That's it. I'm going to retire soon. Finally. But give me a thought when you look at the new building! Bye bye!
30 West Broadway/Fiterman Hall related links:
http://www.epa.gov/WTC/demolish_deconstruct/30wbroadway.htm
http://www.lowermanhattan.info/construction/project_updates/fiterman_hall_39764.aspxhttp://lowermanhattan.info/extras/misc/fiterman_fiterman.pdf
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/fema403_ch7.pdf
http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/fitermannews/
http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_106/fitermanhalllast.html
http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_140/worktodemolish.html
http://www.nysun.com/new-york/ground-zero-fire-may-slow-fiterman-hall-demolition/61029/
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/fiterman-hall-sees-light-at-the-end-of-the-demolition/
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/nyregion/01fiterman.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin
Here is what I looked like on May, 2008:
The City University of New York (CUNY) and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York have plans to first abate and decontaminate me and then demolish me. But political inertia, insurance battles, and strict regulations from the state Environmental Protection Agency about how to dismantle the structure without releasing lethal toxins into the air have played major roles in holding up my demolition.
Money has also been an issue. CUNY institution has long been unable to secure enough money to demolish the structure and build anew. CUNY is estimating the cost of the entire project at $340 million. Costs have increased, which has created problems.
But now there are actual plans and progress! Decontamination and cleaning began on March 13, 2008 following regulator approval. Debris and walls removal is now taking place along with other preparations through summer 2008; 40-man crews are working double shifts daily.
Deconstruction will follow decontamination; expected to begin late summer 2008 and continue for approximately four months. Eventually, like the Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty St., I have to be dismantled floor by floor from the top down.
But how did I get to this point? Let me tell you a little something about myself! Here is what I looked like before the damage.
I am a 1950s-era 370,000 square foot, 15 story concrete-encased structural steel frame building with cinder-concrete floor slabs with draped steel mesh. My construction was completed in 1959. I was used as a classroom building by the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) prior to September 11, 2001. I was undergoing a gut-rehab including extensive asbestos abatement,that was nearly complete on September 11, 2001.
But then, as you all know, some bad things happened and my buddy WTC 7 collapsed. He couldn't help it. I still miss that fella. Debris hit me. The southern half of the west facade and most of the south facade were severely damaged or destroyed, but there was no fire.
I still remember it like it was yesterday.. Portions of the south facade from the 15th floor collapsed. a vertical section of the perimeter wall extending 5 floors down from the setback at the center of the south facade was raked away. Local collapse also occurred at the southwest corner. The majority of the glass panes were knocked out on the south façade, in a triangular pattern that extended to the full width of the base. Floors 9 through 14 had two collapsed bays, and floors 3 through 6 had three collapsed bays. A considerable amount of debris was on the 8th floor.
Needless to say, I was hurt. In the initial weeks after the attack, the gaping holes were filled in from the inside, protecting the outside environment from seeping toxins, and black netting was erected. The City of New York, DASNY, CUNY, and others took steps to clean out some of the debris, close breaches in the south façade, and stabilize the structure. Because mold and WTC dust contaminated me, I became uninhabitable. And they did nothing for years! They let me become the hated one! I'm glad they are doing something now.
I will be gone, but I don't want to be remembered as a sad building everyone hated. A new building will replace this old structure. The new building will be approximately the same size as myself. The new facility will provide space for classrooms, computer labs, offices, assembly and meeting rooms, and other spaces to accommodate college programs and community functions. It will once again be used by the Community College.
Architect for the project is Pei Cobb Freed & Partners. Take a look at the new design!
There is also a website dedicated to the renewal project. Check out the slide-show!
http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/fitermannews/
You want something related to the conspiracies? I hate them conspiracies. I was hit by goddamn debris from a building that didn't fall into it's own footprint. Nuff said.
Sigh. That's it. I'm going to retire soon. Finally. But give me a thought when you look at the new building! Bye bye!
30 West Broadway/Fiterman Hall related links:
http://www.epa.gov/WTC/demolish_deconstruct/30wbroadway.htm
http://www.lowermanhattan.info/construction/project_updates/fiterman_hall_39764.aspxhttp://lowermanhattan.info/extras/misc/fiterman_fiterman.pdf
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/fema403_ch7.pdf
http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/fitermannews/
http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_106/fitermanhalllast.html
http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_140/worktodemolish.html
http://www.nysun.com/new-york/ground-zero-fire-may-slow-fiterman-hall-demolition/61029/
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/fiterman-hall-sees-light-at-the-end-of-the-demolition/
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/nyregion/01fiterman.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin
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