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'Team Twin Towers' not giving up fight

By Justin Rocket Silverman | amNewYork Staff Writer

September 11, 2006

To many New Yorkers, the Freedom Tower is a long-delayed symbol of hope for the rebirth of downtown. But to the members of Team Twin Towers, rebuilding anything other than the original buildings is handing al-Qaida the final victory.

"If they knocked down the Statue of Liberty, what would our reaction be," asks Robin Heid, the group's executive coordinator. "Would we replace it with something else? Of course not, that would be unimaginable.''

In Heid's mind, the only way to truly show the world that al-Qaida will not prevail is to rebuild the Twin Towers largely as they were on Sept. 10, 2001. Beyond additional fireproofing and other safety improvements, he wants the design to remain basically the same.

"Every moment the towers remain down, they are a talking point for al-Qaida's success," he says.

Donald Trump came out in favor of rebuilding the towers last year, and even displayed a model in the lobby of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. He was ridiculed at the time by some 9/11 family members, who said The Donald was engaging in a poor taste bid for publicity.

Development officials acknowledge the emotional appeal behind rebuilding the towers, but have long since dismissed that possibility. But the members of Team Twin Towers have not given up their fight. They argue that as long as new towers haven't gone up at the site, there's always the chance that public opinion will shift their way.

They scheduled a rally Sunday in Central Park to advance their cause, which is summed up by headlines on their Web site, www.teamtwintowers.org.

"Five years of the wrong plan for the wrong reasons is long enough! Because people want their towers back."