New York Construction Report staff writer
On the 24th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, ground was broken for the 9/11 First Responders Memorial at Gary Beikirch Memorial Park in Rochester.
The memorial will honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and aboard Flight 93, as well as the firefighters, EMTs, police, and other first responders who answered the call during and after the attacks. It will also recognize those who carried out critical security and recovery efforts in the months that followed.
Located at the corner of Highland Avenue and South Avenue, just north of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the site will include a nine-foot folded flag sculpture, twin towers modeled at 11 feet high, and a warped steel girder from Ground Zero as a central feature. Designed as a place of reflection and education, the memorial is intended to serve as a lasting tribute for future generations.
Construction is scheduled to be completed by September 2026, marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
“This September marks 24 years since the deadly, horrific, and cowardly 9/11 terrorist attacks on America,” said Dan Maloney, president of the Rochester and Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation AFL-CIO. “This memorial will stand for decades to allow future generations to mark the tragic event and loss of life on 9/11/01, and to honor the sacrifice and bravery of the first responders that work to keep us all safe from harm.”
Monroe County Sheriff Todd K. Baxter said the memorial will also serve as a tribute to public service providers who carried out critical homeland security and enforcement efforts. “These men and women did not flinch, they stepped forward and took action … They gave selflessly so that you and I, and our families, could feel safe, rest at night, and live out the American dream. They deserve our deepest respect.”
The project is supported by the Rochester-Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation, local unions, first responder agencies, and veterans’ organizations, along with a $350,000 state grant that helped secure construction.
