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The 137-metre-long spire intended to crown the skyscraper replacing the World Trade Center on Manhattan’s skyline sits in the yard of a Quebec company which, a lawsuit claims, is holding the pinnacle for “ransom” and jeopardizing the completion of the tallest building in the Western hemisphere.

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“I know I’m not making friends right now but at the end of the day, money is money and business is business,” said Jean Paschini, chairman and chief executive officer of ADF Group Inc. of Terrebonne, Que.

“I’m not holding it hostage, it’s here in my backyard,” he said. He then added: “Pay me and then you get your antenna… Let’s resolve everything, then you get your nice antenna so you can put it up.”

[np-related /]

I’m not holding it hostage, it’s here in my backyard. Pay me and then you get your antenna

The issue is an emotional one, especially for New Yorkers.

The tower will be “a symbol of the recovery of New York City, New York State, and the United States from the terrorist attacks of 9/11,” and “a project of pre-eminent national importance,” the lawsuit by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says.