The idea of creating the world's tallest tower was proposed by Libeskind in his plan for the site and given form by Childs, a design architect with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. As Libeskind proposed, it will soar 1,776 feet in the sky, culminating in a spire that evokes another symbol of our nation's commitment to freedom - the Statue of Liberty. As Childs proposed, it will incorporate innovative cable technology, adhere to the highest standards of safety and security and generate much of its own electricity.

Memorial Finalists Designs Unveiled

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation opened an exhibition of eight finalist designs in the World Trade Center site memorial competition. The designs will be on public display in the Winter Garden while an independent 13-member jury continues to deliberate.

The finalists are:

• Votives in Suspension by Norman Lee and Michael Lewis
  
• Lower Waters by Bradley Campbell and Matthias Neumann
  
• Passages of Light: The Memorial Cloud by Gisela Baurmann, Sawad Brooks and Jonas Coersmeier
  
• Suspending Memory by Joseph Karadin with Hsin-Yi Wu
  
• Garden of Lights by Pierre David with Sean Corriel and Jessica Kmetovic
  
• Reflecting Absence: A Memorial at the World Trade Center Site by Michael Arad
  
• Dual Memory by Brian Strawn and Karla Sierralta
  
• Inversion of Light by Toshio Sasaki

The eight designs interpret the competition guidelines, which were shaped by thousands of public comments. Required elements include delineation of the tower footprints, recognition of every individual killed in terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 and Feb. 26, 1993 and a final resting place for unidentified victims.

The designs will be on display until the jury makes the final decision and selects a winner.

New Vision for Financial District

Gov. George E. Pataki and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg unveiled the first phase of a plan to transform the landscape and security outside the New York Stock Exchange.

The governor and mayor also revealed a new long-term vision for the financial district, which maintains the security of the area while improving the streetscape in the vicinity of the exchange. A large scale banner covering the NYSE's facade was unveiled depicting life after the project is completed.

The first phase of improvements is under way and will be completed this spring. Streets in poor condition, due to security that served as a barrier to maintenance over the past two years, have now been resurfaced. New asphalt has been laid at Broad/Nassau Street from Beaver Street to Pine Street and Wall Street from Broadway to William Street. An attractive black wrought iron-style fence has replaced the "bicycle-rack" French barricades that previously choked pedestrian traffic around the perimeter of the NYSE building.

The positioning of the new fencing has freed up new lanes of pedestrian flow on Broad Street and Wall Street. This fence is an interim installation that will serve in its current location until the longer-term streetscape vision is implemented. Additionally, the slalom course of vehicular obstacles has been removed from Broad Street and jersey barriers have been replaced with planters that inject life into the district.