NYC re-opens WTC subway station, why did it take so long?

Factual Questions
1

Three days short of the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks the “WTC Cortlandt” subway station is finally rebuilt and back in service. Story here.

I find this weird because in 17 years they have remediated the site, built 3 of the 5 skyscrapers, memorial and museum, and PATH transportation center. Why so long for the station? You would that with the site cleared and nothing but a giant hole they would start with foundations for the station and rough-in some connections to the planned buildings.

Also, MTA has never mentioned this rebuild as part of it’s capital projects. Who payed for it?

2

For a decade or more, the subway was visible as a square tube running don the middle of the WTC construction site. At first it was elevated, a few dozen feet above the floor of the underground construction. There would have been no point in opening the station as it would be in the middle of a construction site in mid-air. As I understand, at this point the surface entrance is right next to the memorial squares and the museum entrance.

Then, they were rebuilding the PATH train and building that stegosaurus skeleton of a transport hub. I assume the Cortland station was lower priority.

3

Perhaps it was considered unneeded with many nearby stations, but finally they decided to put it back in.

4

It was paid for out of federal 9/11 relief funds.

As for why it took so long,

A: It’s the MTA;
2: As md2000 says, everything around the site had to be rebuilt first, including the PATH station underneath it; and
Γ: It’s the MTA.