Port Authority Blames Oculus Leaks On Nearby Construction

FINANCIAL DISTRICT, NY — Transportation officials are deferring blame for leaks inside the $4 billion "Oculus" transportation hub, which had water raining from its ceiling on Friday as a heavy rainstorm fell outside.

The World Trade Center Transportation Hub, which is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, saw large puddles of water accumulate throughout the hub's flashy centerpiece on Friday. The torrential downpour caused flooding throughout the city, and even shut down a 10-block portion of the West Side Highway in Chelsea. The rain strained the city's aging infrastructure, including its subway stations, but also came down hard on the Oculus, which was completed last year, about $2 billion over budget and seven years behind schedule.

The Port Authority said the leaks weren't its fault, passing blame onto nearby construction.

“A substantial amount of rain today, coupled with several sections of the WTC site that are still under construction including 3 World Trade Center, caused water leaks in a few sections of the WTC Transportation Hub," a Port Authority spokesman said in a statement. "The leaks have since stopped. World Trade Center staff has identified the specific areas where the leaks occurred and will take steps to mitigate future problems."

The spokesman did not immediately respond to an email from Patch asking for more details on what steps Port Authority is taking to prevent future leaks.

The developer behind 3 World Trade Center, Silverstein Properties, dismissed the notion that its construction site may have contributed to leaks inside the Oculus.

"Anyone who suggests that the water leaking into the Oculus somehow originated at 3 WTC and 4 WTC is all wet," a spokesman for Silverstein said. "4 WTC has been finished and open for 3 1/2 years and 3 WTC is 80 floors high and almost completely covered in glass and steel. All of the areas impacted by rainwater are parts of the Hub project, built and operated by the Port Authority."

The spokesman said that 3 World Trade Center, which is scheduled to open in Spring 2018, suffered no water damage during Friday's storm. For more news from the Financial District, subscribe to Patch news alerts here.

Lead image via Patch.