We have every indication that the city is prepared to look closely at that.

They are the first major commercial tenant to come into the World Trade Center site. So it's a very important commitment. And it is highly valued by the city and the state. We hope it's a magnet.

Brian has always been reasonable and has a reputation for seeking consensus on difficult issues.

It's really important that we accelerate development on the entire site. Many people say the Freedom Tower is not a viable economic proposition even with Liberty Bonds and insurance money. It stands in the way of the development of the balance of the site, which would otherwise be quite feasible.

We all feel state economic development policy has not had the benefit [of input] from the private sector. We think the business community can do a better job of helping guide public investment.

We've already got reports that sales were down this last weekend over last year. I'm sure there's been an impact on tourism as well.