Freedom Mall

Yesterday, New York Governor George Pataki evicted the proposed International Freedom Center museum from the World Trade Center site, basically killing the plan for what would have been a shared Drawing Center/Freedom Center entity overlooking the memorial footprints. But it appears the Snohetta-designed building might become an extension of the underground memorial museum, adding approximately 40,000 s.f. to it's already 110,000 s.f. But that number is small beans compared to the 300,000 s.f. of additional retail spacee proposed just one day after the eviction, to be located along the popular Church Street thoroughfare overlooking the site. This number extends the 200,000 s.f. of retail space included in the PATH terminal.


Proposed Freedom Center

What irks me is the whole basis for the eviction:

After critics expressed concern this summer that there would be anti-American exhibitions and programs in the cultural building, Governor Pataki demanded an "absolute guarantee" that neither institution would do anything "to denigrate America."

The Drawing Center did not respond, but the Freedom Center caved, though it sounds like the Governor had already made up his mind. So, what was to be a "Freedom" center apparently could not be a forum for "free speech". Instead, people will have 300,000 more options for where to spend their "freedom dollars".