Sleep.... Sleep.... Sleep....
Owners drop Freedom Tower name for new WTC skyscraper
NEW YORK (CNN) –– The agency that owns the space where the World Trade Center towers stood is freeing itself of the term "freedom" to describe the signature skyscraper replacing the buildings destroyed on September 11, 2001.
The change from Freedom Tower was revealed Thursday at a news conference where the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced the signing of the first commercial lease in the building to a Chinese company. The building is expected to be completed in late 2013.
"We've referred to the primary building planned for the site as One World Trade Center –– its legal name and street address –– for almost two years now, as well as using the name the Freedom Tower," said Stephen Sigmund, a spokesman for the Port Authority, in a statement released to CNN. "Many will always refer to it as the Freedom Tower, but as the building moves out of the planning stage and into full construction and leasing,
we believe that going forward it is most practical to market the building as One World Trade Center."
Ten of the building's planned 108 above-ground floors have been built.
"The fact is, more than $3 billion of public money is invested in that building, and, as a public agency, we have the responsibility to make sure it is completed and that we utilize the best strategy to make certain it is fully occupied," Sigmund added.
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New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, on the John Gambling radio show taped Friday morning, said he was not upset by the Port Authority's decision.
"It's up to the Port Authority," he said. "I have no idea what the commercial aspects are, and we can say, 'Oh, we shouldn't worry about that,' but of course you have to, particularly now.
"I would like to see it stay the Freedom Tower, but it's their building, and they don't need me dumping on it.
If they could rent the whole thing by changing the name, I guess they're going to do that, and they probably, from a responsible point of view, should.
From a patriotic point of view, is it going to make any difference?"
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"marketing".
Yeah, I bet certain "international clients" would rather not have anything to do with any tribute reminding us of the Islamofascist terrorist attacks.