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In 1996, Mayor Giuliani appointed Jerome Hauer as Director of OEM and
Director of Civil Defense. At the time of his appointment, OEM's facilities were housed
at One Police Plaza. The City determined to relocate OEM from One Police Plaza
because the facilities were believed to be inadequate for OEM's growing requirements
and responsibilities. Initially, OEM's office space was moved to 100 Church Street, with
the command center remaining at One Police Plaza, but this too was found to be
inadequate. Mayor Giuliani then determined that OEM should build a new facility,
including a command center, that would have the capacities that One Police Plaza and
100 Church Street lacked.
OEM developed criteria for its new office space and command center.
The command center had to be within walking distance of City Hall. It had to have
capabilities similar to that of a data center, with high ceilings to permit raised floors for
wiring and with unobstructed interior space for sight lines. The facility needed backup
generator capacity for an uninterruptible power supply and a fuel source for the backup
system located above the flood plain.
OEM, along with outside consultants and employees of the Division of
Real Estate Services ("DRES") and the New York City Department of Citywide
Administrative Services ("DCAS"), reviewed potential properties that could satisfy these
criteria. They determined that the command center could not be housed in any of the
available City-owned spaces. DRES then enlisted the aid of tenant representatives to
look for privately owned facilities, and selected the 23rd floor of 7WTC as best satisfying
OEM's criteria.
On March 25, 1998, the City signed a lease agreement with Silverstein,
