Location: New York, NY
Client: CUNY/DASNY 
Architect: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners
Photo Credit: Pei Cobb Freed & Partners

BMCC Fiterman Hall, located at 30 West Broadway between Barclay and Murray Streets, was damaged in the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center when falling debris left it with gaping holes in its south façade. The 15-story building, constructed as an office building in the 1950s, had served as an extension of the 199 Chambers Street campus of the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) since 1993. BMCC is part of the City University of New York (CUNY), which is working with the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to decontaminate, deconstruct, and rebuild Fiterman Hall. By 9/11, DASNY and CUNY had virtually completed a total rehabilitation of Fiterman Hall, including extensive asbestos abatement. After the damage that resulted from the events of that day, mold and WTC dust had contaminated the building, which could not be economically salvaged and had to be taken down and reconstructed.

The new 15-story academic facility houses a first-floor art gallery, 65 classrooms, 35 computer labs, 130 offices for faculty, library spaces, atriums, open stairways, and several large assembly and performance rooms including a conference center on the top two floors and a doublehigh choral ensemble space.

In the new 377,000 SF building, the existing foundation walls were left in place as well as the existing footings. New caissons were drilled under the new columns through the existing foundations in order to support a taller and heavier building. Demolition was phased to accommodate the new foundation. BMCC Fiterman Hall was completed in 2012 with a construction cost of $325 million.