David Emil

Last updated

David Emil is an American restaurateur and New York State government official. At the time of the September 11, 2001 attacks, David Emil was the president of the company that owned and operated the restaurant Windows on the World on the 106th and 107th floors of One World Trade Center, New York, New York. [1] All the employees and guests at the restaurant during the attacks died, 79 of whom were Windows on the World employees. [2]

Contents

Soon after the attacks, David Emil co-founded, along with restaurateurs Waldy Malouf and Tom Valenti, Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund, a relief fund for families of victims in the hospitality business throughout the World Trade Center. Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund raised $25 million to provide on-going support for the children of victims. [3]

Education and public service

David Emil, an alumnus of Yale College, graduated from Columbia Law School in 1977. [4] In November 1978, David Emil and Anne Burley, a researcher from Amnesty International, visited Tehran as investigators on behalf of Amnesty International to interview political prisoners of the government of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi who asserted they had been tortured despite the regime's claims that torture had been discontinued. A report based on Emil's and Burley's investigation, published in January 1979, provided detailed accounts of torture endured by political prisoners. [5] [6]

In the early 1980s, David Emil served as an assistant counsel to New York Governor Hugh Carey. From 1983 through 1988, Emil served as deputy commissioner and general counsel to the New York State Department of Social Services. In 1988, Emil was appointed president of the Battery Park City Authority on the recommendation of New York State Governor Mario Cuomo in October 1988. [7]

As Battery Park City Authority president, Emil oversaw the construction of Stuyvesant High School and North Cove Marina on the 92-acre landfill site in Lower Manhattan. [8] In 1994, Emil stepped down from the position at the Battery Park City Authority to enter the private sector. [9]

David Emil returned to public service in 2007 when Gov. Eliot Spitzer appointed him president of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC), which had been formed in 2002 to support the revitalization of the downtown areas affected by the September 11th attacks and disburse Federal funds intended for the revitalization of the area. [10] [11] [12] During his tenure as president, the LMDC and the Port Authority were in an ongoing dispute regarding 5 World Trade Center, ownership to which the LMDC had transferred to the Port Authority in 2006; the LMDC claims that the Port Authority owes the LMDC hundreds of millions of dollars in costs for preparing the site for development. [13]

The LMDC was also responsible for the demolition of the Deutsche Bank building at 130 Liberty Street, which had been damaged in the 9/11 attacks and acquired by LMDC in 2004 with the intention of demolishing it. Concerns about environmentally-safe methods of demolition were resolved in 2007. [14] Bovis Lend Lease was contracted to demolish the building, and began doing so in 2007; however, a fatal fire that year caused the death of two firefighters and demolition was halted. [15] OSHA determined Bovis Lend Lease had multiple safety violations including blocked and unmarked exits, a lack of fire extinguishers, and permitting smoking on the site, which investigators have determined to be the fire's probable cause. [16] [17] The Deutsche Bank building was finally demolished in 2011, and in January of that year, the LMDC sued Bovis Lend Lease for $100 million, seeking to retrieve funds it said were advanced to get the project started in 2006 as well as costs incurred with cost overruns. [18] A resolution of a $50 million settlement from Bovis Lend Lease to Lower Manhattan Development Corporation was reached in March, 2015. [19] [20]

Restaurant career

In 1994, David Emil left his position at Battery Park City Authority to join legendary restaurateur Joe Baum as a partner in the Rainbow Room restaurant complex at Rockefeller Center as well as the renovation and reopening of Windows on the World on the 106th and 107th floors of the North Tower at the World Trade Center. [21] [22]

Closed in 1993 after a terrorist bomb exploded in the World Trade Center garage, Windows on the World reopened in 1996 following a $30 million renovation under a 15-year lease with the Port Authority and a global-themed menu. [23] [24] [25]

In 1997, under the culinary direction of new executive chef Michael Lomonaco, Windows on the World was awarded two stars by Ruth Reichl of The New York Times. [26] A smaller restaurant in the complex, Wild Blue, was given one star by New York Times reviewer William Grimes in 1999. [27]

At the time of the 9/11 attacks, Windows on the World was operated solely by Night Sky Restaurants controlled by David Emil and his family. [28] It was the highest-grossing independent restaurant in the country the year before the attacks, according to Restaurants and Institutions magazine, with $37.5 million in sales in 2000. [29]

In 1997, New York Times restaurant reviewer, Ruth Reichl, accorded three stars to the Rainbow Room under the new direction of chef Waldy Malouf. [30] In 1999, Rainbow Room landlord, Tishman Speyer, did not renew its contract with the company led by Joe Baum and David Emil, and selected the Cipriani family to operate the Rainbow Room space.

In 1999, Emil, Baum and former Rainbow Room chef, Waldy Malouf, opened Beacon Restaurant in mid-town Manhattan offering wood-fired cuisine. [31] Beacon closed in 2012. [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battery Park City</span> Neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City

Battery Park City is a mainly residential 92-acre (37 ha) planned community and neighborhood on the west side of the southern tip of the island of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by the Hudson River on the west, the Hudson River shoreline on the north and south, and the West Side Highway on the east. The neighborhood is named for the Battery, formerly known as Battery Park, located directly to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Trade Center site</span> Grounds of the World Trade Center in New York City

The World Trade Center site, often referred to as "Ground Zero" or "the Pile" immediately after the September 11 attacks, is a 14.6-acre (5.9 ha) area in Lower Manhattan in New York City. The site is bounded by Vesey Street to the north, the West Side Highway to the west, Liberty Street to the south, and Church Street to the east. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) owns the site's land. The original World Trade Center complex stood on the site until it was destroyed in the September 11 attacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deutsche Bank Center</span> Skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

Deutsche Bank Center is a mixed-use building on Columbus Circle in Manhattan, New York City, United States. The building occupies the western side of Columbus Circle and straddles the border between Hell's Kitchen and the Upper West Side. It was developed by The Related Companies and Apollo Global Management, and designed by David Childs and Mustafa Kemal Abadan of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Manhattan Development Corporation</span> American organization

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation was formed in November 2001, following the September 11 attacks, to plan the reconstruction of Lower Manhattan and distribute nearly $10 billion in federal funds aimed at rebuilding downtown Manhattan. It is a subsidiary of the Empire State Development Corporation, which is a New York state public-benefit corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windows on the World</span> Defunct restaurant in New York City

Windows on the World was a complex of dining, meeting, and entertainment venues on the top floors of the North Tower of the original World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lendlease</span> Multinational construction and real estate company headquartered in Australia

Lendlease is a multinational construction and real estate company, headquartered in Barangaroo, New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deutsche Bank Building</span> Former skyscraper in Manhattan, New York

The Deutsche Bank Building was a 39-story office building located at 130 Liberty Street in Manhattan, New York City, adjacent to the World Trade Center site. The building opened in 1974 and closed following the September 11 attacks in 2001, due to contamination that spread from the collapse of the South Tower. The structure was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, which also designed the Empire State Building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow Room</span> Event space and restaurant in New York City

The Rainbow Room is a private event space on the 65th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Run by Tishman Speyer, it is among the highest venues in New York City. The Rainbow Room serves classic and contemporary American cuisine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Seasons Restaurant</span> Defunct restaurant in New York City

The Four Seasons Restaurant was a New American cuisine restaurant in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City from 1959 to 2019. The Four Seasons operated within the Seagram Building at 99 East 52nd Street for most of its existence, although it relocated to 42 East 49th Street in its final year of operation. The restaurant was themed around the seasons of the year, with menus, decorations, and vegetation that changed every three months. It attracted numerous high-profile personalities and often hosted "power lunches". Despite mixed commentary of the restaurant's food, the Four Seasons was highly popular, winning the James Beard Award many times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Valenti</span> American chef

Tom Valenti is the Executive Chef at Jockey Hollow Bar and Kitchen in Morristown NJ. Chef Valenti was formerly the owner and Executive Chef of Oxbow Tavern on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He is the former Executive Chef of Le Cirque Restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, in New York City. Previously, he was Executive Chef and co-owner of Ouest Restaurant on the Upper West Side of Manhattan which shuttered in 2015. The recipient of many awards for his comfortable cooking style, Valenti is best known for his salmon gravlax and slow-cooked meats, particularly braised lamb shanks. Chef Valenti is the author of 3 cookbooks, "Welcome to my Kitchen", "Soups, Stews and One Pot Meals" as well as "You Don't Have to be Diabetic to Love This Cookbook", dedicated to recipes for diabetic diets. Valenti was the driving force behind the creation of the Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund, established to benefit the surviving family members of foodservice-related victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Joseph Harold Baum was an American restaurateur and innovator responsible for creating the country's first themed restaurants, including The Four Seasons Restaurant, Windows on the World, and the restored Rainbow Room. He was the first restaurateur to bring contemporary architects, artists and designers into his restaurant designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City Pier A</span> Pier in Manhattan, New York

Pier A, also known as City Pier A, is a pier in the Hudson River at Battery Park in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It was built from 1884 to 1886 as the headquarters of the New York City Board of Dock Commissioners and the New York City Police Department (NYPD)'s Harbor Department. Pier A, the only remaining masonry pier in New York City, contains a two- and three-story structure with a clock tower facing the Hudson River. The pier is a New York City designated landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

The John Galt Corporation is a demolition and construction contractor based in New York City, which was subcontracted to demolish the Deutsche Bank Building after the building suffered severe damage during the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The company was involved in multiple scandals related to its work at the site.

Windows of Hope Family Relief Fund is a 501 charitable organization founded to provide support for families of workers in the food, beverage and hospitality industry who were lost in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gotham Bar and Grill</span> New American restaurant in New York City

Gotham Bar and Grill is a New American restaurant located at 12 East 12th Street, in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, in New York City. It opened in 1984. It closed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and re-opened in November 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perelman Performing Arts Center</span> Performing arts center in Manhattan, New York

The Perelman Performing Arts Center, branded as PACNYC, is a multi-space performing arts center at the northeast corner of the World Trade Center complex in Manhattan, New York City. The Performing Arts Center is located at the intersection of Vesey, Fulton, and Greenwich Streets in Lower Manhattan. The building is named for billionaire Ronald Perelman, who donated $75 million to its construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Trade Center (1973–2001)</span> Former skyscraper complex in Manhattan, New York

The original World Trade Center (WTC) was a large complex of seven buildings in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed during the September 11 attacks in 2001. At the time of their completion, the Twin Towers—the original 1 World Trade Center at 1,368 feet (417 m), and 2 World Trade Center at 1,362 feet (415.1 m)—were the tallest buildings in the world. Other buildings in the complex included the Marriott World Trade Center, 4 WTC, 5 WTC, 6 WTC, and 7 WTC. The complex contained 13,400,000 square feet (1,240,000 m2) of office space and, prior to its completion, was projected to accommodate an estimated 130,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Trade Center (2001–present)</span> Skyscraper complex in Manhattan, New York

The World Trade Center (WTC) is a mostly completed complex of buildings in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, replacing the original seven buildings on the same site that were destroyed in the September 11 attacks of 2001. The site is being rebuilt with up to six new skyscrapers, four of which have been completed; a memorial and museum to those killed in the attacks; the elevated Liberty Park adjacent to the site, containing the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and the Vehicular Security Center; the Perelman Performing Arts Center; and a transportation hub. The 104-story One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, is the lead building for the new complex.

Albany Street is a short street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. The street runs west-to-east from the Battery Park City Esplanade along the Hudson River to Greenwich Street, passing through South End Avenue and West Street on the way. The street has a walkway connection to the Rector Street Bridge which crosses West Street.

Audrey Saunders is an American bartender, considered one of the world's most famous bartenders. She is most well known as the operating partner and creative lead of Pegu Club, a bar in New York City from 2005 to 2020. The bar was one of the most influential in the United States. Since its closure, Saunders and her husband have been developing a retreat for beverage industry members in rural Washington state.

References

  1. ↑ Greenhouse, Steven (2001-09-21). "A NATION CHALLENGED: WINDOWS ON THE WORLD; A Showpiece's Survivors Wonder What to do Now". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ "Last Elevator Down". NPR.org.
  3. ↑ "Reshaped by 9/11: David Emil". 2011-08-27.
  4. ↑ "Columbia Magazine".
  5. ↑ "Shah's Regime Still Obsesses Iranians". Washington Post. 1979-12-16.
  6. ↑ "Torture Continuing in Iran, Rights Group Charges". The New York Times. 1978-12-12.
  7. ↑ "METRO DATELINES; President is Chosen for Battery Park City". The New York Times. 1988-10-05.
  8. ↑ Oser, Alan S. (1989-07-09). "PERSPECTIVES: Battery Park City; Shaping the Pattern of Future Housing". The New York Times.
  9. ↑ "Comfort Food". 3 June 2002.
  10. ↑ Hakim, Danny (2007-04-17). "Albany: New Chairman for Development Corporation". The New York Times.
  11. ↑ Pogrebin, Robin (2007-04-23). "Ground Zero - Lower Manhattan Development Corporation - Joyce Theater". The New York Times.
  12. ↑ "CNN.com - Six options offered to rebuild Ground Zero - July 20, 2002". CNN .
  13. ↑ "Dispute keeps WTC Tower 5 development in limbo". 2014-09-11.
  14. ↑ "EPA opposes cleanup changes at Deutsche Bank building - NY Daily News". New York Daily News . 30 August 2007.
  15. ↑ "2 Firefighters Are Dead in Deutsche Bank Fire". 2007-08-18.
  16. ↑ "10 Years After 9/11, Deutsche Bank Tower Vanishes". 2011-01-12.
  17. ↑ Rashbaum, William K.; Bagli, Charles V. (2008-02-20). "Bank Tower Contractors Accused of 44 Violations". The New York Times.
  18. ↑ Bagli, Charles V. (2011-01-25). "Deutsche Bank Building Woes Spawn $100 Million Suit". The New York Times.
  19. ↑ "LMDC to use $50M settlement to bankroll 14 public projects". 2016-03-18.
  20. ↑ "LMDC is Not Dead Yet; Deutsche Bank Settlement Could Add $50 Million to its Coffers". 2015-03-27.
  21. ↑ Pristin, Terry (1998-06-11). "Metro Business; Change at Rainbow Room". The New York Times.
  22. ↑ "Comfort Food". 3 June 2002.
  23. ↑ Fabricant, Florence (1996-06-19). "New Windows on a New World;Can the Food Ever Match the View?". The New York Times.
  24. ↑ "Windows on the World, New York's Sky-High Restaurant". 11 September 2013.
  25. ↑ "New York Magazine". 1996-07-15.
  26. ↑ Reichl, Ruth (1997-12-31). "Restaurants; Food That's Nearly Worthy of the View". The New York Times.
  27. ↑ Grimes, William (1999-06-09). "RESTAURANTS; in a Cozy Cabin Amid the Shooting Stars". The New York Times.
  28. ↑ Grimes, William (2001-09-19). "Windows That Rose So Close to the Sun". The New York Times.
  29. ↑ "Tavern rakes in the green". 2006-10-12.
  30. ↑ Reichl, Ruth (1997-01-10). "Restaurants". The New York Times.
  31. ↑ "Former Rainbow Room Chef Opens New Manhattan Restaurant | News | News & Features | Wine Spectator".
  32. ↑ "Midtown Restaurant Beacon Has Closed After Thirteen Years". 24 December 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.