Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Saturday Morning News
Interview With Billy Tsien, Monica Iken
Aired July 20, 2002 - 08:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now, as many as 5,000 people are expected next hour on the other side of the country in Manhattan, at a convention center there, to discuss what should be done at ground zero.
Six preliminary plans for rebuilding the World Trade Center site unveiled this past week.
CNN's Brian Palmer joining us from the center where the meeting will take place. He has a special guest with us -- Brian, take it away.
BRIAN PALMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles.
The electronic town hall starts in about an hour.
We're joined by Billie Tsien, who is a member of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. On the agenda will be the six plans that have been proposed for the World Trade Center site.
Billie, what were the instructions given to these design firms when they were coming up with these plans?
BILLIE TSIEN, LOWER MANHATTAN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION: Well, I think the primary instruction was to try to find the place for the memorial. And so as you notice, every one of the six plans has, is focused around the memorial site. And then there are the 11 million square feet of office space, 600,000 square feet of retail space and 600,000 square feet, approximately, for a hotel.
So those were the original numbers that the Port Authority charged the architectural firm with finding places for on the site.
PALMER: Now, there was a mixed reaction to these six proposals. Presumably people are going to be talking about the proposals and other sort of broader ideas about the World Trade Center site. What do you hope comes out of this event today?
TSIEN: Well, I think people, I'm actually glad that there was so much reaction. It was very exciting to see people walking around with pictures of sort of six schemes, newspapers, and talking about them. And I think that schemes need to be seen as a base line suggestion. So now you have a visual sort of manifestation of what this program means on this site. And now is the time when people can actually respond to it. Because before that it was so abstract that no one could really have a very strong opinion. Now you can see things. You can see what you think is missing. You can see what needs to be -- you think needs to be taken away. But it's really time now for people to react.
PALMER: Billie, thank you.
So we're going to hear from these 5,000 people. According to Billie, this event has actually been over subscribed. And at the center of the agenda will be the six proposals.
But again, as we say, there will probably be more on the table -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right, as we just told you -- thank you, Brian. Thank you very much.
There's much debate over what should be done on the grounds where the twin towers stood.
Joining us now to talk a little about it is Monica Iken, whose husband, we're sad to tell you, was killed in the attack. Monica, good to have you with us.
MONICA IKEN, HUSBAND DIED AT WTC: Good morning.
O'BRIEN: First of all, is it difficult even to get into a discussion of this topic for you? Does it bring back terrible memories?
IKEN: Every day for me, as you know, for most of us since 9/11. So, you know, being a founder of a foundation, September's Mission, and my mission is all about the memorial. To me, every day is 9/11.
O'BRIEN: All right, let me just set up the basics here. Do you think there, any sort of development which would involve office space or rent paying space is appropriate for this site, first of all?
IKEN: I think what we need to look at is that these are plans and, you know, the Port Authority had put constraints on the builders, I feel, to make sure that we had 11 million square foot of office and retail and a skyline. And I really think we didn't look to see if we accommodate for the amount of people that are going to be coming to visit the site, living on the site and working on the site. I don't know how we're going to be able to accommodate for the amount of people who are going to be coming through. And I think we need to really project that before we can decide how much office space and retail and transportation should be there.
O'BRIEN: So by dictating this square footage, 11 million square feet, that has really, in many ways, dictated those proposals that we see, which sometimes are hard to separate if you look at them the way they're presented right now.
IKEN: Right. Because it's incorporated in all six of them. And I really think we have to look at how we're going to accommodate for the amount of people that are going to be coming to visit the site. I mean 10 million have come right now and there's nothing there. And I worry that when we build a beautiful memorial, how many people are going to be coming? It's global. This is the most important thing we're going to do this century and we really have to make sure that the economic support, bringing back what was lost, I really feel we have other ways that we can get the revenue that was lost and generate it by having a beautiful memorial on the site, which accommodates for the amount of people that are going to be coming there, working there, so that we can have a 24-7, 365 day community.
O'BRIEN: Do you think it needs to be scaled down, then, the whole thing?
IKEN: I really think we have to look at the options and make sure that this is not to vote on one of the plans here today. This is for people to come out and participate in the most important thing we're going to do this century. And this is a chance for all of us as New Yorkers, as the world, to participate in this process.
And we look to the governors to make sure they help us to get this project back on track and make sure that we do this right. It's so important that we think about the memorial first and that the footprints are sacred, non-negotiable for the families.
O'BRIEN: All right, so that is one key point that a lot of families have brought up, the footprints of the buildings themselves. Is this, this is hallowed ground, after all, and is there something that is unpalatable about this discussion for many of the victims' families?
IKEN: It's very difficult because for two thirds of the families, me being one of them, I, we have no remains. You know, we didn't get anything back. And it's so hard for us because that it our loved ones' final resting place and that's the only place we're going to have to go in the future. And we have to share that with the world, which is fine. But we need to make sure we do it right and that we can accommodate all of the people that are going to be coming, working, living and thriving in this community for the future, for generations to come.
We have an obligation and we have a right to heal as families, as survivors, as rescue workers and residents. We need to heal.
O'BRIEN: You know, the families have a right to be heard and yet they have no right of ownership. And that, therein lies the quandary.
IKEN: Well...
O'BRIEN: Are you concerned that the forces of capitalism and development will ultimately trump the wishes of the families?
IKEN: We can't allow corporate interests to override the moral conscience we have. We have an obligation to make sure we do this right for the future generations to come and we need to do that. It's so important that we don't lose sight of the human toll, the loss of life that was, that happened on 9/11. We have to keep that in -- we have a moral conscience to make sure that we do this right and we, you know, for the future generations to come a hundred years from now. We have to think about this long-term.
O'BRIEN: Monica Iken, I know you and the other families will do your part and we appreciate your efforts on all of our behalf for making that a sacred place.
IKEN: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Monica Iken lost her husband Michael in the World Trade Center.
And thank you very much for being with us on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. Good luck in your efforts.
IKEN: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
