The World Trade Center will have a new memorial soon honoring the thousands of people who have died of related illnesses due to the September 11 recovery efforts.
The memorial is set to be finished and revealed on May 30, the 17th anniversary of when recovery efforts officially ended. Located at the Memorial Glade, this new space will be dedicated to those who worked through the recovery and rescue efforts along with all the survivors and residents of the area who got sick, or died from related illnesses. According to the museum,
Construction on the 9/11 Memorial Glade began in fall 2018 to create a dedicated space to honor the ongoing sacrifice of rescue, recovery and relief workers, and the survivors and members of the broader lower Manhattan community, who are sick or have died from exposure to toxins at the World Trade Center site in the aftermath of 9/11; it will also recognize the courage, selflessness and perseverance of the men and women of the rescue and recovery effort.
The memorial’s design will feature a pathway with six large stone monoliths “that are worn, but not beaten, symbolizing strength and determination through adversity.” The monoliths each weigh between 15 and 17.5 tons, and will incorporate the steel from the original WTC. It is being designed by the same architects of the 9/11 Memorial, Michael Arad and Peter Walker.
The new memorial will cost a total of $5 million, according to the museum. Some money will come from the state, but board members (like Jon Stewart) are also leading funding raising efforts for the project.