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Public Catches First Look At World Trade Center's Transit Hub

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- New Yorkers and tourists got their first look at the inside of a $3.9 billion transportation hub at the World Trade Center site.

The new structure, known as "Oculus," is perched at the edge of the 9/11 Memorial. The soaring white-ribbed steel structure is intended to evoke a bird in flight.

The transit hub's cathedral-like pavilion partially opened to the public Thursday afternoon.

"I've seen it from the outside," commuter Zaticia Franklin of Brooklyn told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond. "It looks very beautiful. I like it."

"It's nice, how could you not spend $4 billion and make it look good?" commuter Tom Vigorito of Wayne said.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey plans to hold a ceremony this spring when all the entrances to the train station are open.

"A democracy should be building important buildings for people," Vanity Fair architecture critic Paul Goldberger said. "It's nice to arrive in the city in an exhilarating place that gives you a lift. I think those great moments are sort of like the exclamation point in the city."

As much as places like this help downtown roar back to life its not without its controversy this structure is billions over budget and at least five years behind schedule.

"It was a very, very ambitious, difficult design," Goldberger said.

When the hub's design was first unveiled in 2004, officials estimated it would cost around $2 billion. But after rushed design changes, water leaks and Superstorm Sandy in 2012 the finished project will cost almost twice that much.

"That's too much money. I can't imagine spending that much money on something like that. It is ridiculous," Franklin said.

"I know they wanted to make it a destination for tourists but I Think it should just be functional and efficient for commuters," Vigorito said.

Cost overruns have also been blamed on the architect's demands and the logistical complexity of building it while the Sept. 11 memorial and office towers were also under construction.

As WCBS 880's Peter Haskell reported, some New Yorkers had skepticism about the cost despite appreciation for the architecture.

"It is extraordinary to look at. But I guess if you come here a few times, you're going to say, 'OK, I saw it enough times,'" one person said.

"It's kind of a waste of money," another said. "But it is beautiful."

The Port Authority called the project "challenging" but added it will "serve a vital transportation need for the region, while becoming an important landmark."

The transportation hub will connect Port Authority Trans-Hudson trains to New Jersey with 11 New York City subway lines and ferry service.

It's estimated the transit hub will see up to 200,000 visitors a day.

Officials are hopeful the landmark will prove to be an economic engine. Within the public atriums is over 200,000-square feet of potential rental space.

"This was a very successful mall before 9/11 and we have no doubt that it's going to be a very successful shopping center," said Jessica Lappin, president of the Alliance for Downtown Manhattan.

The partial opening of the hub is scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday.

Path riders will be able to access a new entrance at the corner or Liberty and Church streets. The other entrances will open throughout the spring.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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