WTC Oculus’s leaking skylight may not be repaired before 9/11 anniversary

The skylight at the World Trade Center’s Oculus has been reportedly leaking since last fall, and while officials had anticipated repairs to be done before the next 9/11 anniversary, it may not happen before then, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The skylight of the structure is meant to open and capture the sun’s rays on the morning of the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Port Authority officials believe a rubber seal ripped while it was opening and closing during that time last year. Since then, the agency has reportedly spent more than $30,000 trying to patch it up with waterproof tape—but it leaked again on May 5, forcing the Authority to place barriers and warnings on the building’s floors.

Last month, officials said that the skylight at the Santiago Calatrava-designed mall and transportation hub would likely be ready for this year’s 9/11 anniversary, but more recently, a Port Authority spokesman didn’t confirm that repairs would be done by then.

“We’re reviewing carefully the best approach to repair a complex, one-of-a-kind architectural feature,” the spokesman told Curbed in a statement. “Our priority is to get it right.”

The $3.9 billion World Trade Center Oculus opened in March 3, 2016. Its 355-foot skylight is made up of 224 panes of glass and arranged in 40 panels powered by motors for its opening and closing.