New Green Space To Honor Those Suffering From 9/11-Related Illnesses
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The 9/11 Memorial and Museum is expanding to honor not only those who were killed in the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, but also the thousands more who have died or gotten sick from the aftermath.
CBS2's Cindy Hsu got an exclusive look at how the heroes are being honored.
The 9/11 Memorial Glade is a pathway adjacent to the south pool. Its focal point will be six large blocks of granite along the path, called monoliths.
Polycor craftsmen are transforming the monoliths at Rock of Ages in Barre, Vermont. They each weigh between 15 and 17.5 tons, and their design incorporates steel from the original World Trade Center.
"The character of these large stone elements that seem to be erupting out of the plaza is really meant to convey the character of the people who came here after the attack," Architect Michael Arad added.
The Glade honors all the rescue, recovery and relief workers, as well as residents in the area, who became sick or died after the attack.
"Everyone who was here is part of the cleanup and memorializing the growing number of people who are affected by 9/11-related illnesses," said Director of Engineering Joseph Flannigan.
No names will be included on the memorial, because that list is constantly changing as more people get sick. According to the World Trade Center Health Program, more than 2,100 people have died from 9/11-related illnesses and more than 90,000 are sick.
The designers hope the Glade will be a peaceful place to reflect and grow.
"By telling these stories of courage, bravery, perseverance, a willingness to sacrifice for others, that people will then commit themselves to living in that same spirit, in that same way," Tim McGuirk said.
The Glade is scheduled to be dedicated on May 30 – the 17th anniversary of the official end of the recovery effort.
Work started on the $5 million project last fall. It's being paid for by New York State and private donations.
