How
many victims of the 9/11/01 attacks on the World Trade
Center were from Hoboken?
Where will the memorial be located?
What are the technical specifications
of the site?
How will community input inform the
memorial process?
How much will the memorial cost and
who will pay for it?
What will happen to the memorial already
built in Pier A Park?
Over fifty Hoboken
residents were lost on September 11, 2001, more than any
other city in New Jersey. Tragically, all but three of
these victims were under the age of forty. Hoboken’s
emergency response teams played a vital role on that day,
triaging more than 10,000 survivors at the Hoboken Path
train station. As news of the magnitude of the event spread,
3,000 community members reported to St. Mary Hospital to
volunteer in any way they could.
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Where will the memorial
be located?
The memorial will be located in Pier A Park on the Hoboken waterfront. On September
11th thousands of people from Hoboken and the surrounding communities gathered
at Pier A to witness the event unfold, and later on to remember and to morn.
As the community began to recover from the shock of that day and to consider
ways to commemorate lost loved ones and friends, Pier A emerged as the most
fitting location for a memorial. The exact location of the memorial within
the park is dependent on the nature of the winning memorial competition entry.
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What are the technical specifications
of the site?
The largest and most actively used green space in Hoboken, Pier A Park is the
winner of multiple design awards. It comprises seven acres, five of which are
on a pier extending off the western bank of the Hudson River. London plane
trees and a lawn have been planted in a manufactured soil on top of the restored
pier, and a diagonal path runs from a fountain to a pavilion aligned to view
the Empire State Building and the former World Trade Center towers on the opposite
bank.
Thousands of commuters pass by Pier A each weekday as they travel to and from
New York City by ferry, the Path train and New Jersey transit trains. The pier
is also clearly visible from Manhattan’s downtown shores, and in turn,
it commands a magnificent view of the New York skyline. Click
here to view a site plan and photos.
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How
will community input inform the memorial process?
Following September 11, 2001, a group of Hoboken residents
formed the Hoboken September 11th Memorial Fund Committee
to guide the creation of a permanent memorial. The Fund’s
committee is made up of Hoboken families who lost loved
ones in the tragedy as well as Hoboken officials and local
residents who are active professionals in art and architecture,
community development, public affairs and fundraising. Click here to view a
full list of committee members.
Committed to understanding the needs and desires of all those affected by the
events of September 11, 2001, the Committee reached out to a diverse cross-section
of Hoboken residents to gather their feelings and memories of the event and
to discover what their desires for a memorial. From February to April 2002,
eight focus groups of 12 to 25 people each were held with family members, emergency
and healthcare workers, students, and artists. The Memorial Fund Committee
anticipates that the most compelling memorial proposals will be the ones that
integrate the community’s feelings and ideas into the design in thoughtful
and creative ways.
Interested community members are invited to read about the progress of the
memorial process and to share thoughts and ideas with the Committee through
this website. A Town Meeting was held on April 3, 2003 to present the competition
guidelines and to gather community feedback.
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How much will the memorial
cost and who will pay for it?
The Memorial Fund Committee is committed to the creation
of a thoughtful and enduring memorial. To realize this
goal, the Memorial Fund Committee is seeking to raise $500,000
to pay for the construction of a memorial that will last
for generations to come. The final cost will depend on the success of current
and future fundraising efforts and on the nature of the winning competition
entry. As of April 2003, over 500 Hoboken residents have made donations to
the Memorial Fund. Throughout 2003, the Memorial Fund Committee will be spearheading
fundraising efforts that will include formal events, as well as efforts to
involve local businesses, New Jersey’s governmental leaders, and the
citizens of Hoboken in this important community project. Click
here to find out how you can contribute to the memorial.
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What
will happen to the memorial already built in Pier A Park?
On September 11, 2002—one year after the attacks—Hoboken residents
gathered in Pier A Park to dedicate the temporary “tear drop” memorial
currently on display in the park. This temporary plexiglass memorial was not,
however, designed to stand the test of time or to survive inclement weather.
The temporary memorial will be removed from the park after a winning competition
entry is chosen, or if it ceases to be a proper memorial due to deterioration
prior to that point.
A living memorial grove has also been designed for Pier A Park. The memorial
grove will be comprised of thirty-six gingko trees, and the grove has been
designed to complement the layout of the park’s existing trees. The memorial
grove is scheduled to be planted during the summer of 2003.
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