BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER | When Christopher O. Ward became executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in May 2008, the buildings at the World Trade Center site under the Port Authority’s jurisdiction were years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget. In addition, the Port seemed locked in an intractable conflict with Silverstein Properties, holder of the lease on the World Trade Center site, as to how many towers Silverstein would build and who would pay for them.
Ward, appointed by then-governor David Paterson, established a new, realistic timetable for the reconstruction of the site and led the Port through more than a year and a half of tense negotiations with Silverstein Properties that culminated in a financing agreement signed in August 2010.
U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler, whose district includes the World Trade Center site, has described Ward as the Port Authority’s “great executive director.” At a meeting of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance on May 16, 2011, Nadler said jocularly, but not in jest, “He’s the first executive director of the Port Authority in 30 years with whom I haven’t feuded and who I haven’t found it necessary to oppose on major issues and either that’s a tribute to my getting mellow with age or with our agreeing. Probably the latter.”
Now, however, rumors have been surfacing that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to replace Ward this fall, following the ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center attack. The New York Post said in an article published on May 27, 2011 that Cuomo won’t take Ward’s phone calls and cited an unnamed Cuomo source as saying “removing Ward has always been part of the administration’s plan.”
Ward, who is not under contract, supervises a budget of more than $7 billion a year and earns more than $300,000 a year in salary — one of the highest paying jobs that the governor is authorized to fill. On June 3, the governor’s office issued a terse statement saying, “There are no plans to replace Chris Ward at this time.”
The words “at this time” worry the members of Community Board 1’s World Trade Center Redevelopment Committee. The committee framed a resolution supporting Ward, which it presented to C.B. 1’s full board on June 28, and which was ratified unanimously.
The resolution noted that, “In the almost 10 years of recovery and rebuilding the World Trade Center (W.T.C.) site since September 11, 2011, there has been a significant turnover in leadership: four New York State governors, five New Jersey governors, five Port Authority of New York and New Jersey executive directors and two New York City mayors. In order to continue progress in rebuilding the W.T.C., we need continuity of competent leadership that is already familiar with the intricacies of such a large, complex construction project.”
Ward is the man for the job, the resolution said, citing his many accomplishments that have included negotiating an agreement with the Durst Organization for equity ownership in 1 W.T.C. — instilling market confidence — and signing a 25-year, $2 billion lease with Conde Nast to occupy one million square feet at 1 W.T.C.
Ward has been the only Port Authority executive director who has met with the community, the resolution noted, and “he has done so on numerous occasions.”
Ward has also met with 9/11 families, said Charles G. Wolf, who lost his wife, Katherine, in the W.T.C. attack.
“He started out by telling us that he wasn’t sure if he could get the memorial constructed by the 10th anniversary,” Wolf said. “Around half-a-year later, he came back to us and shocked us all by saying that they could because they basically turned the whole construction project upside down. Chris Ward made the elephant dance. He got people thinking outside the box. The guy’s been amazing! Please don’t take him away until the job is done!”
Concurring with Mr. Wolf, Community Board 1 would like to see Ward remain as Port Authority executive director for the next three years, allowing for completion of 1 W.T.C., the Vehicle Security Center, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, the Calatrava transportation hub and 4 W.T.C., which Silverstein Properties is building.
C.B.1 sent its resolution praising Ward to Gov. Cuomo and to all elected officials with interest in, or jurisdiction over, the W.T.C. site.
“The W.T.C. is the most visible and largest capital project in New York State, and its success or failure will be attributed to New York’s chief executive, Governor Cuomo,” said Catherine McVay Hughes, chair of C.B. 1’s W.T.C. Redevelopment Committee. “It’s critical that Chris Ward stay on as the Port Authority executive director if we don’t want to see the W.T.C. site deadlines extended and live by a construction site forever.”
