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America 250' TIDBIT: Ironically enough, both The Pentagon & the World Trade Center had just completed extensive renovations right into 9/11.
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Comment by Scott T. Shier on September 11, 2026 at 4:31pm
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The World Trade Center:
In July 2001, just weeks before the September 11 attacks, the World Trade Center underwent significant renovations to prepare for new tenants and modernization under the newly acquired ownership of Larry Silverstein.
- South Tower Updates:
Major renovations began on the 85th and 86th floors of the # 2 World Trade Center (South Tower) to accommodate incoming tenants.
- Observation Deck (South Tower, tower # 2):"The Top of the World Observatories" deck was undergoing a $12 million renovation that had opened in April 1997 and continued through 2001, adding new multimedia attractions.
- Plaza and Infrastructure:The 'Austin J. Tobin Plaza' had been renovated in 1999 with new granite pavers and amenities, while the complex's fire alarm system and sprinklers were being continuously retrofitted and upgraded throughout the late 1990s and on into June + July of 2001.
Planned Projects:Additional planned modernizations included an expansion of the underground mall and updates to the "Windows on the World" restaurant (North Tower, tower # 1), though these were never started, obviously because of the attacks and complete destruction of the entire WTC complex.
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The Pentagon:
Finishing touches were just being tidied up in "wedge #1" at the Pentagon ON September 11,2001, when the terrorists slammed A.A. Flight 77 into Wedge #1 and partially on into Wedge #2.
American Airlines Flight 77 struck the portion of the building that had already been renovated. It was the only area of the Pentagon with a sprinkler system, and it had been reconstructed with a web of steel columns and bars to withstand bomb blasts. The steel reinforcement, bolted together to form a continuous structure through all of the Pentagon's five floors, kept that section of the building from collapsing for 30 minutes--enough time for hundreds of people to crawl out to safety.
The area struck by the plane also had blast-resistant windows--2 inches thick and 2,500 pounds each--that stayed intact during the crash and fire. It had fire doors that opened automatically and newly built exits that allowed people to get out.
"This was a terrible tragedy, but I'm here to tell you that if we had not undertaken these efforts in the building, this could have been much, much worse," Evey said. "The fact that they happened to hit an area that we had built so sturdily was a wonderful gift."
The rest of the Pentagon would not have fared as well.
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