Steel goes up at WTC memorial

Real Estate Weekly, Sept 10, 2008

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Construction workers have begun to install steel for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center, marking a key milestone in the building of the national tribute that will honor the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993. Structural steel erection is beginning in the northeast corner of the north Tower footprint, where the north pool of the Memorial fountains will be, and will move westward over the next year, bringing the Memorial & Museum construction to street level.

Construction workers from Cornell & Company Inc. erected the first structural steel column, measuring 24 feet, 9 inches long and weighing 7,700 pounds, along with several structural members. Ultimately, 9,100 tons of jumbo and structural steel will be installed for the memorial project.

National September 11 Memorial & Museum Chair man Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said, "The start of steel installation is more than just a sign of real momentum for the Memorial & Museum, it's an important milestone for the Memorial, for our country, and for everyone in New York and across the world who has worked to get us this far along. There's still a lot of construction ahead of us, and we need to keep it moving forward aggressively and in tandem with the other major projects under construction at the World Trade Center.

As massive pieces of steel are installed piece by piece, anyone and everyone will be able to see the structure of Us national tribute take shape over the next year."

National September 11 Memorial & Museum President Joseph C. Daniels said, "Last year, I saw these steel beams being fabricated in a plant in South Carolina. Seeing this steel installed on the site reminds me of the scores of dedicated workers involved in making this Memorial a reality.