Bidders Sought for Ground Zero Observation Deck

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Port Authority is preparing to choose an operator for the observation deck that will offer sweeping views from the Freedom Tower at ground zero.

The authority will issue a request for qualifications in early May. It's the first step in selecting a firm to run an indoor observation deck on the 102nd floor -- the uppermost occupied floor of the tower.

Port Authority Chairman Anthony Coscia (KOH-shuh) says the observation deck will provide "a signature element for tourists from throughout the region, nation and the world."

The 107th-floor observation deck that existed before the trade center was destroyed in 2001 attracted 2 million annual visitors.

The Port Authority signed an agreement with Cushman & Wakefield Inc. last year to find tenants for the Freedom Tower, which will also be called One World Trade Center.

The 1,776-foot tower is expected to open in 2012.