Oral History with Avi Schick

Oral history interview with Avi Schick and Amy Weinstein on January 28, 2025.

Avi Schick is former Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC), former President and CEO of the Empire State Development Corporation, and was a Founding Trustee of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. In this interview, Schick reflects on his experience as a lifelong New Yorker and his leadership role in the continued rebuilding of the World Trade Center site following his appointment as LMDC Chairman in 2007. He recounts witnessing the September 11 attacks from outside his office at 120 Broadway, describing the collapse of the Twin Towers, the chaos and darkness caused by the debris cloud, and the lasting impact of the experience. Schick discusses the challenges he faced upon joining the LMDC, including balancing the need to move the rebuilding process forward while remaining responsive to stakeholders seeking to revisit earlier decisions. He explains the importance of maintaining public confidence, coordinating among numerous governmental and private entities, and preserving momentum on major projects while remaining open to meaningful improvements, such as saving the “Survivor Stairs” for inclusion in the Memorial Museum. Schick also reflects on the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan beyond the World Trade Center site, highlighting efforts to support neighborhood revitalization, secure funding for the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC), and coordinating the complex infrastructure and financial issues surrounding the rebuilding effort. Throughout the interview, he emphasizes the importance of thoughtful public leadership, collaboration, and long-term planning, arguing that the successful transformation of Lower Manhattan demonstrates the ability of public institutions to accomplish ambitious civic projects when provided with sufficient resources, public trust, and time. He speaks highly of the staff who receive little recognition or credit for their many years of civil service, and he emphasizes how important it is to center the story of the site’s rebuilding around its impact on the bereaved and local families rather than the stories of politicians. He feels the 9/11 Memorial and World Trade Center site are now a firm part of the fabric of New York City and sees this as a success.