For all the progress finally taking place at the World Trade Center site, one thing stood as a constant reminder not only of the tragedy of 9/11 but also the difficulty of undoing the damage. 130 Liberty Street, the former Deutsche Bank building, has stood like a ghostly sentinel over the site, sheathed in its black shawl of construction netting, years past its planned deconstruction date, a constant reminder of how, even if things do get done at Ground Zero, they always take twice as long as they should.
Even after an unexpected blaze claimed the lives of two firefighters in 2007, and a promise was made to have the building banished by the following year, it still stands. But not for much longer, as the Post notes 130 Liberty has just reached the five-story mark, and really, truly, should be gone by the end of the year. It is an especially macabre milestone because at that height, the new standpipe can be removed. The same standpipe that was improperly disconnected three years ago, leading to a lack of water to fight the cigarette-sparked fire, leading to the death of those first responders.
Still, justice will be served, as a judge has just upheld the charges against three construction executives considered responsible for the blaze and its aftermath.
