It took 10 years and cost two firefighters their lives, but the Deutsche Bank building (formerly 'Bankers Trust Plaza') in Lower Manhattan has finally been torn down, the NYPost reports.  Well, at least the 41-story tower is gone for good - demolition continues in the sub-basements. 

The building was destroyed on 9/11 by falling debris from the Twin Towers, and it soon became an empty shell filled with dangerous chemicals and toxic waste.  Before the Port Authority could rebuild on the site, the building had to come down - a slow, torturous process that could be observed from the 27th floor offices of FINRA Dispute Resolution, at 165 Broadway (the former long-time home of Merrill Lynch).

Contractors slowly scrubbed and stripped the shattered hulk, turning its innards into a maze of tarps and walled-off stairwells.  And in August 2007, a worker's cigarette torched six stories, trapping and killing 2 firefighters on the 14th floor of a building.  And the building was still standing years later - until recently.  .

For those familiar with the Ground Zero site, the building's departure is a welcomed "sight."   [NYPost, 2/12]