On the Scene - ENR New York: November 2021

Muddhouse Podcast — *Photo courtesy Silverstein Properties*

MuddHouse Media on Sept. 15 officially launched the Top of the World: Lessons From Rebuilding the World Trade Center, an 11-part podcast series featuring the people at the heart of reconstructing the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.

Pictured recording an episode are (clockwise from left) Marty Burger, CEO of Silverstein Properties; Dawanna Williams, founder and CEO of Dabar Development Partners; Dara McQuillan, Silverstein chief marketing officer, who hosts the series; and Maria Masi, senior vice president, multifamily development, Brookfield Property Partners.

Others who appear throughout the podcast series are WTC developer Larry Silverstein; former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; and National 9/11 Memorial architect Michael Arad.

“As we approached the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, it was important to reflect on our collective mission to restore, revitalize and re-invent downtown Manhattan,” Silverstein said.

Photo courtesy ACEC New York

The American Council of Engineering Companies of New York held its fall 2021 conference Sept. 12-14 at the Harbor Hotel in Watkins Glen, N.Y. Its first live event since 2020 featured educational sessions and networking attended by engineering professionals from across the state.

The final day featured a panel discussion about 9/11, reviewing the history of the complex, the response to the attack, plane impact analyses and the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. Many panelists had ties to the site before the attack and told personal stories of their Sept. 11, 2001, experiences.

Pictured (l-r): Jeffrey Smilow, executive vice president and managing director, building structures, WSP USA Inc.; Najib Abboud, managing principal and applied science practice leader, Thorton Tomasetti; Michael Burton, vice president and national operations manager, LiRo Engineers Inc.; Vicki Arbitrio, associate partner, Gilsanz Murray Steficek LLP; Carla Bonacci, assistant director, WTC infrastructure and project development, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; and moderator Rick Zottola, partner, LERA Consulting Structural Engineers.