In a scene that had everyone holding back their emotions, a final steel beam was hoisted atop 4 World Trade Center alongside a celebration full of proud New Yorkers, construction workers and developers that aimed to rebuild on that site that was attacked over 10 years ago.
Over 100 workers took turns signing the white steel beam with a proud American flag hanging from the bottom in a celebration that consisted of singer Bebe Winans belting out a beautiful rendition of “God Bless America” that brought some workers to tears as they remember those lost in the tragic events of 9/11.
According to Boston.com, developer Larry Silverstein took the opportunity to thank the workers for the hard work, letting everyone know that his main goal when taking on the project was “to give New Yorkers back the city terrorists tried to take away.”
Silverstein conceded that “it’s been a very tough time” dealing with the years of failed plans and road blocks in moving forward with the tower, but in the end he says,”I’ve always believed in downtown New York.”
The Associated Press reports :
The 1.8-million-square-foot skyscraper, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki, will primarily house commercial offices. A third of the office space will be set aside for the headquarters of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the site.
After the celebrations began to come to a close, which included another stunning performance by Bebe Winans, this time of the “Star Spangled Banner”, those that have been part of the construction couldn’t be any happier with the way things turned out.
Sally Rexach, a nurse who was at ground-zero helping those who were injured on 9/11, also served as the site nurse at 4 World Trade Center. Teary eyed after all was said and done on Monday in downtown New York, she managed:
“Ten years later, it’s pretty remarkable.”
4 World Trade Center is set to officially open in the fall of 2013.
How do you feel about the completion of 4 World Trade Center?
