PRINCETON: Proposed 9/11 memorial design revealed

By Victoria Hurley-Schubert, Staff Writer
   The Packet was given an exclusive first look at the preliminary design for the proposed 9/11 memorial that strives to honor those who died that day and educate future generations about what happened.
   Kyle Rendall, an architect with Princeton-based KSS, has created the first draft of the design that evokes the Twin Towers and incorporates all the attacks that took place that day in 2001.
   ”We had several concepts in mind, one is a place where people can go and sit and look at the steel and look back at what happened and if someone perished that day, it’s place where people can sit and hear tranquility, but look at the steel and remember what happened,” said Roy James, deputy chief of the Princeton Fire Department, who is spearheading the memorial.
   The concept for the memorial is almost 360 degrees, with three walls on the outside and with the steel beam and sitting areas on the inside.
   ”Surrounding the memorial and steel we are going to have three big walls to represent where something happened that day,” said Mr. James. “One is going to represent Shanksville (Pennsylvania, where Cranbury resident Todd Beamer brought down a plane that was intended for the White House) and one is going to represent the Pentagon (where a hijacked plane stuck the building) and one is going to represent the Trade Center.”
   In the initial plans, the walls will be engraved with the story and timeline of what happened that day along with the names of the Princetonians who died.
   Two curved walls on the sides of the memorial area will represent Pennsylvania and Washington, DC.
   ”There will be a timeline that shows what happened at that spot,” said Mr. James. “Anyone from Princeton that perished will be engraved.”
   The back wall, the largest, is proposed to be engraved with the phrase “never forget” on the side that faces the steel.
   Underneath the steel beam, which would be supported by posts, a water feature is designed to divide the seating area in half. When viewed from afar, this will give visitors the impression of the fallen skyscrapers themselves.
   ”We wanted the sound of water,” Mr. James said of the initial concept. “We are going to have water in the center of the monument. In the middle of the whole thing there is going to be water coming down into a pond where the steel is going to be above. The reason why (Mr. Rendall) did it that way is if you cut it in half it looks like the Twin Towers.”
   The proposal also includes nine trees to represent the nine Princeton residents who died in the terror attacks. No specific tree has been chosen yet.
   The recently acquired piece of World Trade Center steel will be brought to Princeton tomorrow with a ceremony marking its significance. The steel run will take place on March 24 and will start in Brooklyn where the beam is being stored.
   One proposed site could be Borough Hall property, but logistics are still being worked out.
   Grounds in front of Borough Hall could be one possible location, said Mayor Yina Moore at the March 13 Borough Council meeting. It could be situated on the Route 206 side of the building.
   ”As you look towards the Washington monument, over to the left side, there is a clearing in the trees as you go left toward the other monument,” said Mayor Moore.
   ”This would be a spot you would have to walk to,” said Mr. James. “Realistically we sat out there for 25 minutes looking over the spot and the sounds of the vehicles did put some kind of calming effect. When all the trees blossom, it’s going to be beautiful.”
   Councilman Kevin Wilkes pointed out the proposed spot is under state historic preservation and that will need to be dealt with on the state level.
   At the council meeting, Mayor Moore asked borough staff to consult with the architect about water and electric needs for the proposed memorial.
   The proposed memorial, if built to the conceptual design, could cost about $250,000. Mr. James is hoping to defray the costs with donations and in-kind services.
   ”Because a lot of people perished that day and it really impacted our community, our country, our world that people will definitely donate some money to it,” said Mr. James.
   Still in the works, the design will be modified to reflect and work within the final site that is chosen. The memorial will be discussed at the next Borough Council meeting on March 27.