Nervous Tenants Move Out of the Empire State Building
By Elena Molinari
Reuters
NEW YORK - The view from the offices of...
... the firm is leaving.
... many of the 2,500 tenants of the once-again tallest skyscraper
in New York, going to work every day has become a nerve-wracking
undertaking, after hijacked jets destroyed the World Trade Center
one month ago.
Many are leaving.
... of the 180 companies located in the 102-story building
said they have either made the decision to leave
or are thinking seriously about it... Moving companies records
indicate that more are considering their options.
"We are getting lots of calls for estimates from businesses
in the Empire State Building willing to relocate," said...
The long-term leases many tenants signed don't seem to be
a deterrent, when the alternative is to lose worried clients or employees.
"We lost two employees... One simply never showed up
after Sept. 11. The other left a couple of weeks later
and never came back. Others feel anxious, and we can't
afford to lose anybody else. We are trying to move out."
... left without notice a few days after seeing the two planes
crash into the twin towers from their windows.
... more than three years left on the lease, and we're trying
to sublet. But if we can't find anybody, we'll just walk out."
A prime real estate space that... is now seen as a high-risk
location. Despite impressive security measures, fear is mounting,
and not just among tenants.
"Clients don't want to come up here," said...
... it's been a constant challenge to maintain motivation
and morale. Our windows face the site...
Now, a dozen officers patrol the sidewalks of the Empire State Building
24 hours a day.
Police lines don't allow cars to park alongside the skyscraper.
Shops at the ground floor of the landmark can be accessed
only from the main lobby where metal detectors and X-ray
scanning machines have been installed. And bomb dogs
sniff all the boxes unloaded from delivery trucks.
... planning to move out. "It's not just us. People want out."
... want to get the hell out of here," said...
"Its not easy to come to work every day," said...
... looking for ways to free ourselves from the lease."
... don't feel comfortable about coming to work here.
... Empire State Building... and has been emptied twice
since then by bomb scare alerts.
That has pushed some over the edge.
... It's very scary," said ...
Still, some are concerned that the building is still not secure.
"Safety is on everybody's minds," said...
"Working here has become a big source of concern for everybody.
Every day it's emptier.
The restaurant downstairs is always deserted.
It was extremely busy before."
"This is a big symbol. I'm scared to death," said...
"I have a 12-year-old and a 3-year-old and they worry
when they see me leave. I've asked to be relocated."
"This is a trophy building," said... "We are moving out.
We don't need a trophy building for our business."...
16:06 10-11-01
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