9/11 Memorial To Dedicate Section To Those Sickened By Attacks

TRIBECA, NY –Nearly 17 years after the 9/11 terror attacks, the suffering continues for thousands of people exposed to the toxins that spread through Ground Zero. And the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum is determined to recognize them.

Conceptual designs that will honor those who have suffered or died after exposure at the site were unveiled Wednesday morning as part of a new addition to the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan.

“The impacts of the 9/11 attacks did not end when the site was cleared, nor when the Memorial and Museum were built,” Alice M. Greenwald, president of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, said. “By integrating this meaningful public space at the Memorial, we seek to recognize all those for whom 9/11 has remained an all too present reality.”

The announcement came on the 16th anniversary of the final day of onsite rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero, which ceased on May 30, 2002 — nearly nine months after the attacks.

Renovations will include the construction of a pathway on the southwest side of Memorial Plaza, near the Survivor Tree, that will become part of a grassy section called Memorial Glade. The location was chosen because of its proximity to the “primary ramp” used during rescue and recovery efforts, according to Wednesday’s announcement.

Six stone elements will border the walkway, 3D design renderings show. Each stone will appear worn, but not beaten to symbolize “firmness, stability and faithfulness through adversity, pointing skyward, referencing how the recovery cleared the way for rebuilding and renewal,” said architect Michael Arad in his design statement.

A sign incorporating World Trade Center steel will likely be part of this concept, though it has not yet been designed, according to the Memorial statement.

Once completed, the memorial as a whole will not only honor all those who lost their lives nearly 17 years ago, but also those who died or suffered in the days, months and years after the World Trade Center attacks, according to Michael Bloomberg, 9/11 Memorial Board chairman and former NYC mayor.

“Evolving the Memorial to integrate this dedicated space is part of this institution’s obligation to preserve the history of 9/11 and its continued impact on all of us,” said Bloomberg, who was instrumental in the development of a task force that established the city’s first plan to manage 9/11-related health issues.

Representatives for Congressman Jerrold Nadler, retired FDNY Commissioner Sal Cassano, Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer, 9/11 Health Watch Executive Director Ben Chevat, retired Port Authority Police Department Lt. William Keegan and others worked with 9/11 health advocates and providers, 9/11 family members, first responders, lower Manhattan residents, rescuers and recovery workers on the design and will continue to provide insight and feedback as the process moves forward.

Jon Stewart, former host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” and a member of the memorial's Board of Directors, is spearheading a fundraising effort through his work with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum 5K Run/Walk and Community Day, which next year will donate 100 percent of its proceeds to the memorial renovations.

“These men and women sacrificed themselves for the rest of us and have spent years suffering and dying because of it,” he said. “We have long owed it to them to honor their contributions.”

New York state will also lend a helping hand through its affiliates, the Building Trades Unions and Bloomberg Philanthropies, providing support and funding for the construction of Memorial Glade. Click here for more information or to make a donation.

The memorial redesign shows surviving 9/11 responders that they have not been forgotten, said FealGood President John Feal, a 9/11 responder who lost part of his foot during recovery efforts.

“It is a sacred obligation to create this new memorial space dedicated to them, one that tells their story to the millions of visitors who come to this site,” said Arad, who designed the original 9/11 Memorial with his cohort Peter Walker.

Photos courtesy of architects Michael Arad and Peter Walker