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November 20, 2013- The NY Times is reporting, “The World Trade Center’s best-kept secret has finally come to light. It is an elevated park, slightly larger than an acre and 25 feet above Liberty Street, that will command a panoramic view of the National September 11 Memorial when it opens to the public, probably in 2015. Liberty Park, as it is called, is meant to offer a pleasant and accessible east-west crossing between the financial district and Battery Park City; to create a landscaped forecourt for the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church; to provide a gathering space for as many as 750 people at a time; to allow visitors to contemplate the whole memorial in a single sweeping glance from treetop level; and to serve as the roof of the trade center’s vehicle security center.
While the general outlines of the park have been known for years, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has been sparing in its public discussion of the project, in part because not every detail of its design and construction has been settled. But the Port Authority’s hand was forced somewhat last month when sumptuous images of St. Nicholas Church and Liberty Park appeared on the website of the architect Santiago Calatrava, who is designing the church. The park was rendered in sufficient detail that it was possible for the first time to understand its basic design.
Nice to have green, but this looks a bit more like a decorated highway or sidewalk than an actual park. Seems as if it is just a bunch of planting beds, kind of like on the widened Greenwich Street in Tribeca.
I agree, Lynn.
This is just a building roof with some plants.
The secrecy undoubtedly was over the decision to place a religious temple on the site. The Port Authority will now have to explain why Greek Orthodox was chosen of the many other religions.
The entire 9/11 Memorial, sadly, is managed by disgraceful people taking $500,000 salaries, etc. Those cost overruns are why your bridge and tunnel tolls doubles since 9/1/2001.
All of this profiteering comes from the goodwill created by more than 2,700 people who died horrific deaths on 9/11/2001. Just disgraceful.
The architect’s renderings are certainly pretty. Reality will look quite a bit different: 2 sets of sally ports on that one block of liberty st. and static barriers around the block as far as the eye can see.