COMMISSION SENSITIVE UNCLASSIFIED MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD Re: Property leased by SPI Type of event: Interview / Correspondence with Alan Reiss Date: June 23, 2004 Special access: None Prepared by: Madeleine Blot Team: 8b Location: By email Participants - Non Commission: Alan Reiss, Former Director of Port Authority World Trade Department; James Begley, Deputy General Counsel, Port Authority Participants - Commission staff: Madeleine Blot
Prior to the transfer of control of the WTC from the Port Authority to Silverstein Properties, Inc. ("SPI"), on July 24, 2001, the Port Authority owned and operated 1 WTC, 2 WTC, 4 WTC, 5 WTC (other than areas leased to private tenants), corresponding sub grade areas and the concourse. The PA owned the land on which 3 WTC (the Marriott Hotel), 6 WTC (US Customs House) and 7 WTC (SPI) were built, but the buildings were built and/or operated by lessees.: On July 24, 2001, all properties owned and operated by the Port Authority were transferred by net lease to SPI. For the purpose of staff s investigation, 'WTC' or 'the complex' should refer to those buildings and areas owned and operated by the PA.
1 Silverstein Properties built and operated 7 WTC. The PA does not recall who built 3 WTC which was operated by the Marriott Hotel. 6 WTC, the US Customs House, was leased by GSA, which managed the building from the B1 level to the roof.; the PA had title to the land and owned parking lots under the building.
COMMISSION SENSITIVE UNCLASSIFIED MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD Re: Stairwells in towers Type of event: Interview / Correspondence with Alan Reiss Date: July 12, 2004 Special access: None Prepared by: Madeleine Blot Team: 8b Location: By email Participants - Non Commission: Alan Reiss, former Director of Port Authority World Trade Department Participants - Commission staff: Madeleine Blot
Staff asked Alan Reiss to confirm that the width of the A & C stairwells conformed to building code requirements and that the width of the B stairwell exceeded code requirements. Mr. Reiss confirmed that the A & C stairwells were 44" wide, the minimum width required by code, and that the B stairwell was 56" wide, 12 inches wider than required by code. Other factors, including capacity (i.e., load of people per floor) figured into the determination of appropriate stairwell widths at the time the towers were designed.
COMMISSION SENSITIVE UNCLASSIFIED MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD Re: AlanReiss Type of event: Interview / Correspondence re power sources in WTC Date: July 12, 2004 Special access: None Prepared by: Madeleine Blot Team: 8b Location: By email Participants - Non Commission: Alan Reiss, former Director of Port Authority World Trade Department Participants - Commission staff: Madeleine Blot
Electric for the towers was primarily supplied by dedicated feeders (4 per zone) from the Con Ed substation under 7 WTC. If power was lost by the primary set of feeders, it would automatically transfer to another set of feeders1. If all commercial power was lost, a second source of backup power was supplied by emergency generators. A tertiary source of backup power was also available for critical systems such as the fire alarm. Backup battery power was also available for the fire alarm system and fire stairwell lights.
The WTC was served by 8 feeders in total
COMMISSION SENSITIVE UNCLASSIFIED MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD Re: Mezzanine Type of event: Interview with Alan Reiss Date: June 20, 2004 Special access: None Prepared by: Madeleine Blot Team: 8b Location: By email Participants - Non Commission: Alan Reiss, former Director of Port Authority World Trade Department Participants - Commission staff: Madeleine Blot
In response to a question from staff, Alan Reiss clarified that the "mezzanine" levels of the towers' lobbies was one floor, e.g., 12 feet, above street level. The mezzanine was level with the plaza and the 2nd floor of the towers. The plaster ceiling of the lobby was at the 6th floor level. (See Alan Reiss interview, Jul. 25, 2004, re 2nd to 9th floor levels)
COMMISSION SENSITIVE UNCLASSIFIED MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD Re: WTC sub grade levels Type of event: Interview with Michael Hurley Date: June 21,2004 Special access: None Prepared by: Madeleine Blot Team: 8b Location: By email Participants - Non Commission: Michael Hurley, Former life safety director, WTC Participants - Commission staff: Madeleine Blot
In response to question from staff, Michael Hurley confirmed that the B6 level of the towers was 6 stories below ground. Bl was the first level below ground and contained the truck dock (w/ truck parking, delivery areas, access to freight elevators etc). B2 contained parking lots, and, e.g., operational offices and electrical shops. B3 contained more parking, offices, and storage area. B4 contained more parking lots. And B5 and B6 contained mechanical equipment and tenants storage area (tenants could rent "cages"). Many of the sub grade areas were originally used as parking lots. However, after the 1993 bombing, public parking was prohibited in the WTC complex and tenant parking was restricted. Therefore, as of Sept 11th, many of these areas were unused space.
COMMISSION SENSITIVE UNCLASSIFIED MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD Re: 2nd - 9th floors area in towers Type of event: Date: July 25, 2004 Special access: None Prepared by: Madeleine Blot Team: 8b Location: By email Participants - Non Commission. Alan Reiss, former Director of Port Authority World Trade Department Participants - Commission staff: Madeleine Blot
Staff asked Alan Reiss to elaborate on the reason why re-entry was not possible from the stairwells between the 2nd and 9th floor area in the towers. Mr. Reiss told staff that the 7th and 8th floors contained a two-level mechanical equipment room to which access was restricted to authorized personnel via the electronic security system.1 Space between the 2nd and 6th floor levels, between the core of the building and the exterior columns, was part of the open upper portion of the ground-floor level atrium. There were several small areas of space between the stairwells in the core of the building which were un-leased and used for miscellaneous purposes.
The MER on 7/8 was one large room (as on 41/42) containing 2-story fans which served the lobby & the 16 floors above. It also contained pumps and electric substations.