The trial of the 9/11 terrorists should not be held in Lower Manhattan.
Lower Manhattan, the center of the financial markets around the world, is the third largest central business district in the country with nearly 100 million square feet of office space, more than 8,000,000 visitors a year, a daily workforce of almost 315,000, a residential population of 140,000, 16 subway lines and the New York/New Jersey PATH train that links the area to the rest of the city and the region. This is the worst possible site for a trial of this magnitude. .
The extensive security requirements in the vicinity of the court house and the surrounding area would create massive economic and emotional turmoil in a part of the city that has already suffered greatly from unthinkable acts of terrorism. You need to move the trial away from this large, vital urban center to a less populated location.
The projected $215 million annual cost for security doesn’t take into consideration the impact that these security measures will have on our economy, businesses, residents and visitors.
Following 9/11, some neighborhoods such as Chinatown suffered serious economic losses in business activity as a result of the extensive security measures in Lower Manhattan. New York City, especially Lower Manhattan, simply cannot afford the trauma and financial cost associated with this terrorist trial.
Lower Manhattan is not only a major economic engine for New York and the surrounding region, it is a neighborhood sprinkled with restaurants, small businesses, newly renovated apartments and shopping districts, and tourist attractions. All of these businesses will suffer.
There are viable alternatives outside densely populated and economically vital city centers like Lower Manhattan. We could relocate the trial and the incarceration of the terrorists to either the Ossining or the Sullivan Correctional facility, both maximum security state prisons. Another alternative could be the Federal Correctional Facility in Otisville, a medium security facility for male offenders. All these locations are in less populated areas that could accommodate the trial.
Impacts
1. Restricting public access to streets and parking spaces would have a negative consequence on the 140,000 residents, on the 315,000 workers and the 8 million visitors to Lower Manhattan
2. Businesses would suffer substantial loss of revenue from reduced pedestrian activity, leading to store closings and job losses
3. Diminished commercial activity and business closures impact communities with a high percentage of low-income households, such as Chinatown, and the many affordable housing complexes in Lower Manhattan
