Cultural Institutions




Beginning in early 2002, the LMDC held over a dozen large-scale public meetings on the future of the World Trade Center Site. The result of the public meetings and hundreds-of-thousands of public comments received via mail and email was clear, cultural facilities must be an integral part of rebuilding Lower Manhattan and the World Trade Center Site. In 2003, the LMDC embarked on a process to assess interest and select institutions for placement on the site.

In April of 2003, a plan was announced to invite cultural institutions from around the world to submit proposals and in late June of 2003 the international Invitation to Cultural Institutions (ICI) was issued. Throughout the summer, the LMDC engaged in public outreach including a July public forum specifically on the ICI and a series of seven community workshops throughout Lower Manhattan. The public outreach sessions helped measure public priorities and reactions to different cultural programming and inform the selection process. By the close of the ICI process in September of 2003, 113 responses had been received. From October 2003 through January 2004, an evaluation committee made up of representatives from the LMDC, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and State Council on the Arts reviewed the 113 submissions and evaluated which responses would best fit the criteria for the World Trade Center site.

The panel evaluated the responses based on a number of criteria including:

• Ability to present dynamic national and international artistic programs that will reflect and draw from the diversity of New York City
• Capacity to offer programs that animate the neighborhood and establish and maintain Lower Manhattan as a world class cultural destination full of vitality, energy, and diversity
• Contribute to the mix that represents various scales and diversity of disciplines that will complement existing Lower Manhattan institutions
• Provide a broad range of public programs
• Potential to stimulate economic growth
• Capacity to raise funds for capital projects and operations and financial stability
• Provide for adequate and flexible spaces within its architectural program to serve the lower Manhattan and artistic community

Additional consideration was given to public comments received during the ICI public forum held on July 28, 2003 and the comments at LMDC/City sponsored Neighborhood Workshops. Based on this work, the LMDC identified a short-list of institutions whose submissions were feasible and promising for developing the curatorial approach or content for the Memorial Center, and occupying a performing arts center and cultural buildings on the World Trade Center Site. These institutions were listed in a publicly released report. LMDC studied all possible combinations of the short-listed institutions to determine feasibility. LMDC also consulted with numerous experts to assist us in evaluating the theater proposals and in determining the flexibility of each program.

The LMDC then convened meetings with the short-listed organizations. The LMDC, along with the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts, met with the short-listed institutions and analyzed the refined proposals in relation to programming, costs, and management structure. The LMDC, working with its City and State partners, reached a consensus on the recommended set of institutions. On June 10, 2004, LMDC announced the Joyce Theater Foundation, the Signature Theater Company, the International Freedom Center, and the Drawing Center as those selected institutions. On July 8th, LMDC Board approved this selection and determined to offer planning grants to each of the four institutions for planning and schematic designs for the two cultural facilities.