WTC’s Oculus needs $200K to fix leaking skylight

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The Oculus has a $200,000 leak

The leak that has plagued Santiago Calatrava’s Oculus since last fall is hasn’t yet been fixed—and according to the Wall Street Journal, it may cost another $200,000 to rectify the problem.

Recall, if you will, that a rubber seal that runs down the middle of the structure’s skylight ripped after it opened and closed on the 17th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in 2018. The Port Authority has since spent tens of thousands of dollars (and, it appears, many rolls of tape) to try and fix the problem, but it wasn’t ready in time for the 18th anniversary of 9/11, when it was due to open and close at precisely 10:28 a.m. Now, an agency spokesperson confirmed to the WSJ that a previously announced engineering analysis is underway, and it’ll spend at least $200,000 to fix the problem.

Recall also, if you will, that the Oculus, which opened in 2016, cost a whopping $3.9 billion to construct. It was originally projected to cost $2.2 billion.

Another record-breaking day for Citi Bike

Citi Bike had its best day ever on September 21, with 100,379 rides recorded. The bike-sharing program offered free rides as part of a partnership with Healthfirst, and plenty of New Yorkers took advantage. This was one in a number of record-setting days for the program; the previous record for most trips taken was on September 17, with 94,975 rides.

That’s a huge change from when the program launched in 2013, when its highest daily ridership number was around 44,000. (It’s also quite a difference from the city’s highly-subsidized ferry system, which has a daily ridership of around 17,800, and weekend ridership of 26,739. We’re just saying.)

And in other news…

• Part of an empty lot in Inwood is up for grabs for $3 million, but a buyer would have to deal with the giant rock that sits in the middle.
• John Tauranac, the man who helped create the 1979 subway map—the one New Yorkers know and use to this day—says it needs to be completely overhauled.
• Remediation of the polluted Newtown Creek, one of two Superfund sites in NYC, may begin sooner than expected.
• Co-ops are trying to woo buyers by retrofitting their buildings with condo-like amenities—the Dakota, that grand Upper West Side dame, reportedly spent millions kitting out a new fitness center for its residents.
• A protected bike lane on Shore Road in Brooklyn is almost done being installed, even though the local community board objected to its placement.
• More tales of brokers bilking New Yorkers out of money in the wake of the new rent laws.
• And finally, it’s the first day of fall, and the high is 91 degrees. Here’s a photo that we’re staring at wistfully until the temperature goes down to something that’s slighlty more autumnal.