Schwarz
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Construction on the Second Avenue subway line is kicking into gear this week, prompting developers, contractors, and architects to consider various uses for the rare rock that will be excavated from Manhattan's East Side. Some say the expensive rock, known as " Manhattan Schist," could be used for the construction of a grand project in the region.
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Morningside Heights was built from rock recovered when the no. 1 subway line was excavated in 1904. Ellis Island was also expanded during the 1930s when rock and dirt from quarrying the lettered subway tunnels was used as landfill to expand the island to 32 acres from about five acres. The landfill under Battery Park City was built partly with rock excavated from the former site of the World Trade Center.