NEW YORK — Even without the name, the symbolism of the Freedom Tower as an American response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks was hard to miss.
The original architect designed a twisting form that he wanted to imitate the Statue of Liberty, with a spire that rose to 1,776 feet to recognize the year of American independence. Politicians called the tower proof of the country’s triumph over terrorism.
Former Gov. George Pataki said visitors to the iconic skyscraper “will know our determination to overcome evil,” in a 2003 speech that first gave the Freedom Tower its name.
The tower — under construction with a projected completion date of 2013 — no longer has the same architect, design or footprint on the 16-acre site. And last week, the owners of ground zero parted ways with the Freedom Tower name, saying it would be more practical to market the tallest building in New York as the former north tower’s name, One World Trade Center.
Critics called the name drop an unpatriotic shedding of symbolism by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Some newspaper editorials blasted the agency for years of missed deadlines and changing plans for the site.
But others privately repeated fears that have plagued the building as negotiations with major corporations to take up space in the tower came and went: that the 102-story Freedom Tower’s name could make it more susceptible to future attacks than a symbol of defiance against it.
The Port Authority suggested that people could still call the building the Freedom Tower. The name has stuck despite the fact that the agency stopped it on first reference years ago.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg — who said Friday he prefers the name Freedom Tower — said the building’s true name may be left to the public.
“One of the things is we call things what we want to call them. So Avenue of Americas is a good example. It’s Sixth Avenue to most people,” the mayor said. “If they name this One World Trade Center, people will still call it the Freedom Tower.”
