There's no demand at all for more office space down there, but ultimately why this hasn't gotten started is because three levels of government have their grimy paws all over it.
As far as I can tell, internal city and state politics have hamstrung efforts to do anything with the site.
The only coalition that really had a chance to do anything were going to make a decidedly anti-Bush and pro-Islamist statement with a memorial at the center. That one was killed by grass-roots protest at the last moment. Personally, I think the city should just give up and make the site into a park with a very limited memorial.
As far as I know, there is no shortage of office space in NYC. Even the WTC towers never came anywhere near capacity occupation.
Basically to me,
The City and State can not please all the family members. The family members have too much power and emotional support.
Also this is Liberal Land.
Frankly I have given up on thinking about it all. Its a truly pathetic situation and will probably never be resolved.
Aside from the other issues mentioned, IIRC, the towers had a lot of vacant space.
Why build anything in a city that is inevitably going to the stratosphere in a mushroom cloud.
Its a burial ground. Why would you build anything besides a memorial upon it?
Not to me.
You should have seen how long it took them to build it originally, how much debate and disagreement there was. And it was all pretty straightforward at that time. It's how NY is, nothing is easy there, everything is fraught with conflict and disagreement. Somehow, eventually, something gets done, built, whatever. There is no use worrying about it or trying to hurry things along.
Because no one will want their office sitting on the grave site of nearly 3,000 people. I think it is safe to say that there will not be any Chinese companies looking for space in the new building.