by CARISSA CAVALLO Staff Writer One year after the killing of Osama bin Laden and 10 years after the attack that brought the buildings down, the World Trade Center is being rebuilt. Freshman Rachael Kayheart says, “I think it is a great idea that the World Trade Center is being rebuilt. It will remind people we can overcome any obstacle.” The World Trade Center, now called Freedom Tower, is still a work in progress. The tower is being built on Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan. Five hundred feet imore will be added before the tower is complete. The Freedom Towers height is currently at 1,271 feet, 21 feet taller than the Empire State Building, which is New York’s tallest skyscraper. The building is expected to be 1,776 feet when finished in 2014. The Willis Tower in Chicago, known as the Sears Tower, has the country’s current record of tallest building 1,450 feet. There will be a total of 103 floors, with the top three floors reserved for observation decks. Its first 90 floors will be used for office space, and the last 10 floors will be used for air conditioning, heating, and electrical equipment. Kayheart says, “I think that making the top three floors of the Freedom Tower an observation deck is a great idea. The Freedom Tower will be better than the Empire State building.” Twin reflecting pools will be placed where the Twin Towers once stood. A memorial is located at the site of one of the original World Trade Center buildings. The names of the 3,000-plus people that died in the 2001 attacks and the six people who were killed in the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993 are decorated across bronze panels ringing the pools. “The project is bringing a major milestone to the city and country,” said Mike Mennella, the construction executive who was in charge of building the first towers and is helping to build the new structure. Many people believe that the Freedom Tower is already a tribute to American resilience. The Freedom Tower is a reminder that whatever problem Americans face, we can come back bigger, better, and stronger than before. New York’s Mayor Mike Bloomberg said, “The New York City skyline is—once again—stretching to new heights. The latest progress at the World Trade Center is a testament to New Yorkers’ strength and resolve—and to our belief in a city that is always reaching upward. This building has been a labor of love for many, and I congratulate the men and women who have worked together to solve the challenges presented by this incredibly complex project. Today our city has a new tallest building—and a new sense of how bright our future is.”
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