About the Vesey Street “Survivors’ Stairway”

The Survivors' Stairway is located at the World Trade Center site, on the northern perimeter, on Vesey Street between Church and Greenwich Streets.

It is the only existing above-ground remnant of the World Trade Center complex - it survived the collapse of the towers and the subsequent clean-up.

This stairway was the only means of escape from the buildings for hundreds of people and has come to be called the “Survivors’ Stairway.”  It is now being threatened with destruction because it sits on the site of a proposed new office building.

Background

Before September 11th, the Vesey Street Stairway was used by the public on a daily basis.  It connected the World Trade Center Plaza to Vesey Street, and was comprised of two granite-clad outdoor staircases and an escalator.

The Stairway now leads nowhere, consisting only of concrete slabs and blocks and steel supports.  The granite at the top of the stairs is still recognizable and remarkably untouched. [View photos]

The Threat -- Has Now Been Removed

The Stairway sits within the site of the proposed WTC Tower 2, being developed by Silverstein Properties, and designed by architect Norman Foster.  It must be moved to make way for the street-level retail component of the new office tower.  It is also threatened by the cumulative impact of vibrations from the other above-ground and below-ground construction.

A commitment is needed from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, and Silverstein Properties to move the Stairway to a temporary location, so that it can be preserved, and at the same time, not delay redevelopment of the World Trade Center Site.

When you look at the Survivors’ Stairway – you can see that the bottom is damaged and scarred.  But at the top it’s still standing strong -- and aren’t we all a little like this since September 11th? The Stairway stands as a uniquely important historical artifact, and a dramatic symbol of hope and survival.