Groundbreaking on attack's second anniversary is goal

Schenectady. Organizers for the Upstate New York 9/11 Memorial Park have received $50,000 in pledges and $15,000 in cash for the project since November and hope to break ground for the memorial on the second anniversary of the terrorist attack.

"We expect to raise $1.5 million by the end of the year," said Sue Lombardi, project director for the not-for-profit corporation based in Burnt Hills.

The park will cost an estimated $3 million to create. The plan is to locate the park on one acre between the Western Gateway Bridge and the Mohawk River, off the eastbound exit into Schenectady County Community College.

Construction should take about a year.

The site is jointly owned by Schenectady County, the state Canal Authority and the state Department of Transportation.

Lombardi said she has contacted the owners to make arrangements to lease the land for the park.

David Atkins, commissioner of planning for the county, said he has held preliminary talks with Lombardi.

The county Legislature would have to approve a lease or permit with the organization for it to use the land.

"We have leased or permitted land before. It's not a lengthy process," Atkins said.

Lombardi said the project has attracted interest throughout the state, as well as locally. Among the organizations participating in fund-raising efforts is Hannaford Supermarkets.

The supermarket chain has set up collection stations to allow people to donate their bottle deposit receipts to the project. The collection stations are at 17 stores in the Capital Region and downstate, Lombardi said.

The promotion began last month and will continue through November at the various stores.

Hannaford officials said the collection effort generates about $10,000 per store.

"They have a different charity every month, and people can donate their receipts. Hannaford is administrating the process," Lombardi said.

The Capital Region Parade of Homes next month will donate proceeds from its event to the memorial, she said. The event raised more than $5,000 last year.

On June 7, the Burners UK will headline a family day concert at the Saratoga Fairgrounds, with proceeds going toward the memorial.

A local radio station plans to compile and sell a CD of patriotic songs, giving the proceeds to the memorial. And at least five area schools are planning fund-raisers for the project as well, Lombardi said.

The organization is also seeking "significant" grants for the project, and is selling T-shirts, candy, sculptures and jewelry, she said.

"Our fund-raising plan is in place, but we want to have a substantial amount of money in place when we break ground on Sept. 11," Lombardi said.

"We've been reluctant to go full out until the IRS sent us our tax-exempt designation form, which we received last week," Lombardi said.

"We're now ready to release more information about our fund-raising efforts. We've done a lot of prep work so we can do it the right way," she said.

As envisioned by project designer Synthesis, the memorial will include a plaza whose centerpiece consists of four steel I-beams salvaged from the former World Trade Center buildings.

The heavy steel beams were twisted by the intense heat of the fire. Each weighs 3,000 pounds and is 30 feet long.

They will be placed upright in the memorial and at a slight angle to one another, such that they almost touch at the center.

A pool of water, observation and meditation areas will surround the beams. Two walls with the names of the victims of Flights 93 and 77 will be nearby. Water will flow over the walls into a lower pool.

A walkway will lead to the main display, containing the names of the victims from the trade center. The display will feature piers and representations of the World Trade Center towers.

The 1-acre site will also contain a sculpture garden, plantings, lighting and a memorial to one of the dogs who helped sniff out victims of the disaster.

The site will be connected to the proposed county bike trail.

The organization incorporated with the state last year and is in the process of obtaining insurance.

The organization plans to spend 95 percent of proceeds on the project.