I must disagree with John Steele Gordon (“The Business of America,” May/June issue). New York’s World Trade Center has been a towering success for both the city of New York and the Port Authority, which built and operates the complex.

The World Trade Center served as a catalyst for development in lower Manhattan and has been instrumental in helping to make the downtown area a residential community and major tourism draw. In addition to the world-famous Twin Towers, the complex includes one of the most successful retail malls in the country.

The Trade Center also led directly to other projects that revitalized New York City’s economy, such as Battery Park City and the World Financial Center, which were built on 25 new acres of Manhattan land created out of the fill excavated for the Trade Center.