Deutsche Bank Building

This article is about the former New York building. For the current New York building, see 60 Wall Street. For the Frankfurt building, see Deutsche Bank Twin Towers. For the Sydney building, see Deutsche Bank Place.

Deutsche Bank Building
View from the southeast in 1997
Location within Lower Manhattan Deutsche Bank Building (Manhattan) Deutsche Bank Building (New York City) Deutsche Bank Building (New York) Deutsche Bank Building (the United States)
Alternative names	Bankers Trust Plaza 130 Liberty Street
General information
Status	Demolished
Type	Office
Location	130 Liberty Street, Manhattan, New York, United States 10007
Construction started	1971
Completed	1973
Opening	1974
Demolished	2007–11
Cost	$120 million
Owner	Deutsche Bank
Height
Roof	157.6 m (517 ft)
Technical details
Floor count	39
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Shreve, Lamb and Harmon
Developer	Bankers Trust
Structural engineer	James Ruderman
Main contractor	Turner Construction Company
References

Overview of the site following the attacks. The Deutsche Bank Building is visible behind an angled red crane.

The Deutsche Bank Building (formerly Bankers Trust Plaza) was a 39-story office skyscraper located at 130 Liberty Street in New York City, adjacent to the World Trade Center site. The building opened in 1974 and closed following the September 11 attacks, due to contamination that spread from the collapse of the South Tower. The structure existed from 1974 to 2007, and was designed by Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, which also designed the famous Empire State Building.

The building was purchased by Deutsche Bank when it acquired Bankers Trust in 1998. It was part of the skyline of Lower Manhattan, and was demolished between 2007 and 2011. 5 World Trade Center will eventually replace the building, expanding the ground space on which the World Trade Center stands, as this land was not part of the original World Trade Center.

After the September 11 attacks

Plans

Detail of gash in the facade imparted by the collapse of the World Trade Center. A segment of the South Tower facade is visible hanging from the gash.

The collapse of the South Tower during the September 11 attacks tore a 24-story gash into the facade of the building. Steel and concrete protruded from the building for months afterward, which was eventually cleaned up. However, due to extensive contamination, Deutsche Bank decided that the 39-story ruin was to be taken down. During the cleanup and recover period, netting was placed inside gashes and holes to prevent collapse. The owner maintained that the building could not be restored to habitable condition, while its insurers sought to treat the incident as recoverable damage rather than a total loss. Work on the building was deferred for over two years during which the condition of the building deteriorated.

In September 2005, human remains were found on the roof, and in March 2006, construction workers found more bone fragments and remains. This prompted calls from victims' family members for another search of the building by forensic experts. Between April 7 and April 14, 2006, more than 700 human bone fragments were discovered in the ballast gravel on the roof.

The cost of demolition had steadily increased to $75 million by Bovis Lend Lease, as large amounts of asbestos, dioxin, lead, silica, quartz, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chromium, and manganese had been found within the building.

Demolition

In 2004, an agreement was announced to settle the disposition of the building and insurance claims. As part of this agreement, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation acquired the land and commenced demolition work. On December 7, 2006, the Associated Press reported that the building would be dismantled. The report indicated that nearby residents were fearful of possible toxic dust associated with the Twin Towers within the building.

On May 17, 2007, work was halted after a 22-foot section of pipe fell 35 stories and on the roof of "The Ten House", home to Engine 10 and Ladder 10 of the New York City Fire Department. Two firefighters were injured by falling debris, although they were not struck by the pipe itself.

View of the building during the fire of August 18, 2007

On August 18, 2007, at approximately 3:40 p.m., a seven-alarm fire broke out on the 17th floor of the building, caused by workers smoking in violation of the building's safety rules. Around this time, crews were removing one floor per week, and the building had only 26 more. At the time of the fire, crews were removing asbestos. The fire spread in both directions, affecting a total of 10 floors. The floors were also filled with a maze of protective polyethylene sheets, which were designed to prevent the spread of asbestos, and also trapped smoke. The building lacked a standpipe, making it extremely difficult to put out the fire. The building had not been inspected since March, when it should have been inspected every 15 days. The fire burned into the night before being extinguished, and numerous special and support units responded from the New York City Fire Department to combat the fire. The fire killed two FDNY firefighters, Robert Beddia of Engine Company 24, and Joseph Graffagnino of Ladder Company 5, who succumbed on the 14th floor to smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning. The fire also injured 115 other firefighters, 46 of which were seriously enough to require medical leave. Plans to demolish the building continued as quickly as possible. In 2008, the Manhattan District Attorney indicted three construction supervisors and the demolition subcontractor, John Galt Corporation. A city stop-work order was lifted in April 2008 and decontamination work began again in May of the same year.

Dismantling in January 2008.

Dismantling was originally scheduled to be completed by the end of 2008, and later by the end of 2010. In October 2009, it was announced that dismantling of the building would finally resume.

Demolition was completed on January 20, 2011 with the removal of the crane. Demolition of the first floor and foundation was finished on February 28, 2011. It was the last part of the building to be removed.

Future

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has taken over the site as its developer, which will be used for the Vehicular Security Center, Liberty Park, and 5 World Trade Center.

5 World Trade Center

Main article: 5 World Trade Center

Negotiations over the World Trade Center site concluded in April 2006 with private developer Larry Silverstein yielding his right to develop on the site designated for One World Trade Center and Tower Five to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in exchange for assistance in financing Towers Two, Three, and Four. Mayor Michael Bloomberg claimed there wasn't enough demand for office space to fill the five skyscrapers included in the World Trade Center's master plan, and called for a major revision of the plan to include housing or hotels. However, the demand for Manhattan office space, including downtown, has been booming since 2006, and on January 16, 2007, financial giant JPMorgan Chase was in talks with the Port Authority about developing a 42-story skyscraper, which would prevent Mayor Bloomberg's push to use the site for housing.

Several sources familiar with JPMorgan Chase's talks with Port Authority officials said the firm's bid to develop a proposed 42-story tower for major corporate tenants is being taken seriously by the bistate agency. To make the commercial deal work, the Port Authority would have to agree to expand the size of Tower 5's base in order to accommodate the large, lower-level floors needed for trading rooms, a requirement for most large financial-services firms. The Port Authority hired Kohn Pederson Fox to design a 42-story skyscraper with a catilevered section starting at the 14th floor to accommodate the large trading floors. Template:Www.google.com

On June 14, 2007, Bloomberg and then-Governor Eliot Spitzer announced that JPMorgan Chase had won the bid to buy and build the new tower at 130 Liberty Street to replace the Deutsche Bank Building. However, after the acquisition of Bear Stearns by JPMorgan Chase in March 2008, the future of 130 Liberty Street has been put into question as JPMorgan Chase has announced that it intends to move into Bear Stearns' old headquarters at 383 Madison Avenue. If JPMorgan Chase does not renew their bid, the site would likely be used for a residential or hotel tower, as per Bloomberg's plan prior to JPMorgan Chase's bid. Recently, community and civic leaders met to discuss the site's future with community leaders favoring a hotel or residential development and outgoing deputy mayor Robert Lieber favoring an office tower.

Church and Vehicular Security Center

On October 14, 2011, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which controls rebuilding at Ground Zero, and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church announced an agreement that allows the church to build a 4,100-square-foot church and interfaith bereavement center at 130 Liberty Street. The original church, which was located at 155 Cedar Street and founded by Greek immigrants in 1916, was the only religious building to be completely destroyed during the 9/11 attacks.

Delays in taking down the Deutsche Bank at Ground Zero have forced the Port Authority to delay the expected completion date of the crucial Vehicular Security Center. Repeated delays had also added roughly $100 million to the cost of rebuilding the World Trade Center. Originally delayed to 2013, it will now open once the surrounding construction of the WTC is finished.

See also

• Collapse of the World Trade Center
• Health effects arising from the September 11, 2001 attacks
• Verizon Building
• 90 West Street

External links

• Official website
• Official announcement
• in-Arch.net description
• Wired NY