Libeskind/Silverstein Battles

[New Jack City]

There's going to be plenty of news on this, so I'll devote a thread to it.

For those unfamiliar with the situation, Daniel Libeskind, the WTC site master plan architect is suing the leaseholder of the site, Larry Silverstein claiming he deserves additional "genius fees" for the work he did on the Freedom tower. However, Silverstein claims he was already paid under contract and shouldn't receive any more money.

Here's an article from today's paper...

NY Daily News

WTC designer a shakedown artist - builder

BY MAGGIE HABERMAN
DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU

Architect Daniel Libeskind held out "approval" on the Freedom Tower design in an attempted $800,000 shakedown, twin towers leaseholder Larry Silverstein charged in court papers yesterday.

The salvo was Silverstein's response to a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court last week by Libeskind, who claims the developer cheated him out of money he was owed for work on the planned tower.

But in an affidavit, Silverstein executive Janno Lieber said Libeskind's main contribution was devising the overall plan for the World Trade Center site, for which he was paid by public agencies.

The work on the tower design was largely done by Silverstein's architects, Lieber said, because Libeskind didn't have the right expertise.

Libeskind and Silverstein architect David Childs were forced into a tense collaboration over the tower design.

"During our negotiations, [Studio Daniel Libeskind] representatives, on various occasions, attempted to justify this extra fee as payment for the 'brilliant' idea of the Freedom Tower - an idea for which SDL has already been paid - or as compensation for Libeskind's willingness to give the tower his political 'seal of approval,'" Lieber said.

Libeskind lawyer Ed Hayes said the situation was the opposite.

"Libeskind said to [Silverstein], 'Look, you've agreed to follow the master plan, now you have to do it,'" Hayes said. "Really, Silverstein was looking to bribe Libeskind into going along with his plan, and when [Libeskind] refused, Silverstein wouldn't pay him."

Originally published on July 21, 2004

[mzelonski]

Honestly, did Libeskind every really think he was going to be the head of operations so to speak.

Come on, give me a break, his renderings were chosen because they afforded Silverstein and his crew the most flexability with regards to an "open" design.

This guy is making an ass out of himself by trying to take charge. Thank god Childs and Silverstein steped up to the plate because the original model was awful.

I am so frustrated at this whole process.

[7 World Trade]

libeskind's too big of an idiot to know that even someone as corrupt as pataki wouldn't want to have an amateur head such an important task- the rebuilding of the greatest project in nyc history. why, i bet he doesn't even realize that he's just being used by those bureaucrats.

yeah, the only reason libeskind's plan is chosen cuz it's the only beyer blinder belle cousin in the 2nd round of plans (som also didn't have any significantly tall ones but they got buildings over the twin footprints). it and som are pretty much the only plans some hardcore anti-twins utopians like pataki and bloomberg or terror-wimps like silverstein would like (the footprint issue knocks som out so really, only libeskind can do for them).

seriously, once silverstein and pataki's cronies at lmdc get that plan, all they have to do is to add a skyline element to the fraudom tower and kill the death pit and they're pretty much done. to do that, they just have to put libeskind away silently, get childs in and shove the plan onto him, and start the construction free and clear.

libeskind's such a child. but then, he's doing the bidding of the pro-twins by shedding the current redevelopment plans and processes into a bad light. the dispute make this entire rebuilding process look more like a bureaucratic power-grab than some public cooperation, which can wind up eventually damaging pataki and bloomberg's image. i mean, 2 out of the 5 main people involved in this is already fighting their butts off for the spoils in this project. there's no telling when the other 3 will fall apart also.

all the libeskind really had to offer for the rebuilding is the glass shard buildings and the statue of liberty style freedom tower. everything else, including the memorial pit, wedge of light, park of heroes, and even the freedom tower shape, have been changed. so, in reality, libeskind contributed rather little to the final design, and his demand for more bucks is not justified.

[mzelonski]

"all the libeskind really had to offer..."

All Libeskind really had to offer was the moraly correct public realtions image that would fool New Yorkers into believing that they were in control of the rebuilding, when in realty, that was never Silverstein or Childs intention.

I would have just preferred them saying "Okay, this is what we're going to do here..."

I suppose in retrospect it was the only thing they though they could do...

[7 World Trade]

i don't think libeskind even offer that. if pataki and his cronies want a morally correct public relations image, they would choose foster's instead. after all, libeskind's plan was one of the most unpopular one.

new yorkers are smart to realize that the officials already screwed up the rebuilding process and took away the voice of rebuilding from them. the problem is that many are just too dismayed and confused to really know how to counter this kind of problem (really, when was the last time there was that high of a corruption within the nyc government to the point where civil liberties were actually taken away?).

the fact that pataki, bloomberg, and silverstein have no confidence in the rebuilding project if left to public hands show their true cowardice and fraudulence in their hearts.

[BigMac]

Newsday
July 21, 2004

Judge orders mediation in Libeskind's lawsuit over WTC fees

Associated Press

http://www.nynewsday.com/media/thumbnails/photo/2003-10/9926836.jpg http://www.nynewsday.com/media/thumbnails/photo/2003-10/9895220.jpg

A judge ordered mediation Wednesday in the fee dispute between World Trade Center leaseholder Larry Silverstein and site planner Daniel Libeskind, who has filed a lawsuit claiming Silverstein owes him more than $843,000.

State Supreme Court Justice Karla Moskowitz issued the order at the request of Silverstein's lawyer, Stephen Hoffman, and set a schedule for the parties' exchange of papers and information. The judge told both sides to return to court Oct. 14.

John Lieber, another of Silverstein's lawyers, said "we're thrilled" Moskowitz ordered the mediation. He said the dispute did not belong in court or the newspapers, and a neutral, third party would likely recommend a fair settlement.

Edward W. Hayes, Libeskind's lawyer, had opposed mediation, saying he did not believe it would be "fruitful." He had said he was ready for trial.

Libeskind, who designed the master plan for rebuilding the 16-acre site, sued Silverstein on July 13, saying the developer had withheld his proper fee as punishment for thwarting Silverstein's plans to include more rental space in the design.

Libeskind argued that the fee for concept and design of a major project such as the Freedom Tower is usually a percentage of the architectural fee, which is a percentage of the construction costs.

Because Silverstein has refused to say what he is paying the architect, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Libeskind said he had to guess what his fee should be. Based on the project's estimated cost of $1.5 billion, he said his fee should be $843,750.

Lieber, the Silverstein lawyer, said the developer was paying Libeskind based on time spent working on the project, not based on the project's cost. He said the dispute arose because Libeskind did not keep time sheets.

Lieber said the sides had been trying to settle when Libeskind filed his court papers. He said only "a few hundred thousand dollars" separated them, and he estimated that Libeskind's legal fees would probably consume that amount.
Copyright © Newsday, Inc.

[mzelonski]

"Libeskind, who designed the master plan for rebuilding the 16-acre site"

I cant friggen believe that Libeskind is going to get the credit for "designing" the master plan, needless to say, it doesnt even look anything like it at this point!

Just imagine, Libeskind is going to be recognized for the rest time for "designing" the master plan for this site.

[swivel]

Honestly, did Libeskind every really think he was going to be the head of operations so to speak.

Come on, give me a break, his renderings were chosen because they afforded Silverstein and his crew the most flexability with regards to an "open" design.

This guy is making an ass out of himself by trying to take charge. Thank god Childs and Silverstein steped up to the plate because the original model was awful.

I am so frustrated at this whole process.

Agreed....I feel the same way.

[Agglomeration]

Libeskind's berating others for money is just another example of how corrupt and factionalized this reconstruction process has become. Let Lib and Silverstein squabble. Maybe then people will really start getting pissed off over all this.

[Ellatur]

he





should





die

[New Jack City]

NY Newsday

Silverstein, Libeskind settle lawsuit

By The Associated Press

October 6, 2004, 11:39 AM EDT

World Trade Center leaseholder Larry Silverstein will pay architect Daniel Libeskind's firm $370,000 for its work on the Freedom Tower under a settlement announced Wednesday.

Libeskind, designer of the master plan for redevelopment of the trade center site, filed a lawsuit in July in Manhattan state Supreme Court claiming Silverstein owed him more than $843,000 for creative services.

Under the terms of the settlement facilitated by a court-appointed mediator, Libeskind will withdraw the lawsuit.

"I am pleased that the mediation has produced a resolution to this dispute, and that both of us again can focus completely on the redevelopment of the World Trade Center," Silverstein said in a statement.

Libeskind said, "I am pleased that we have put these issues behind us so that we can move forward without distraction on the critical tasks ahead, which are so vital to our city and our nation." The cornerstone was laid on July 4 for the Freedom Tower, which will be the first skyscraper to go up at the 16-acre trade center site.

Its history has already been rocky, as Silverstein brought in architect David Childs of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill to design the building, which Libeskind had envisioned as a 1,776-foot tower with a spiraling shape that echoed the Statue of Liberty. The building's final design was a compromise between Libeskind's and Child's versions.