October 7, 2004

Larry Silverstein and Daniel Libeskind today announced that they have reached a settlement regarding design fees for the 1,776 foot World Trade Center Freedom Tower. Silverstein noted in a statement released to the press that he will pay Studio Daniel Libeskind $370,000 for its work on the project. Libeskind’s firm conceived of the building's off-center spire concept and contributed to the design, which has been led by Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill (chosen by Silverstein) until December, 2003.

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On July 13 of this year Libeskind sued Silverstein for $843,750, an amount based on a percentage of the Freedom Tower’s total cost. The amount, noted Libeskind’s Lawyer Edward Hayes, was based on a procedure rooted in industry practice.

"I am pleased that we have put these issues behind us so that we can move forward without distraction on the critical tasks ahead," said Libeskind in the statement. The architect is also working on the World Trade Center Master Plan for the Port Authority of New York and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. Silverstein noted similarly that he was "pleased that the mediation has produced a resolution to the dispute."

While noting they were happy the process was over, neither Libeskind nor Silverstein would comment further on the settlement, or on whether they were happy with the monetary amounts that had been agreed on.

Sam Lubell