A lot of talk, little work at WTC site

NEW YORK: Private developers of New York's World Trade Center site and the public agency that owns the land have failed to reach a deal to allow construction to go forward, the city's Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Tuesday.

Amid much fanfare, the redevelopment of the Lower Manhattan site was touted as a symbol of the city's revival after hijacked planes flew into the twin towers on Sept 11, 2001, destroying the buildings and killing nearly 3,000 people.

But battles over insurance, designs and security have long delayed redevelopment of the 6.47-hectare site, which is owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and was leased by developer Larry Silverstein just weeks before the 2001 attack.