National September 11 memorial opens to public
By: Noah Larson
Updated: September 12, 2011
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., (WFRV) -- Visitors are getting their first look at the 9/11 memorial.
"It's a positive step, we see the building here, we see the memorial itself and next year when the museum opens it is going to be another positive," said Charles Zurenko, volunteer worker.
Cascading water and reflecting pools, each an acre wide, now sit where the towers stood. The names of each victim are etched in Bronze. The bronze plaques will be warmed in the winter and cooled in the summer so people can always touch them, as family members did Sunday.
The architect of the memorial, Michael Adad says he's deeply touched by how many people are reacting to the creation.
"You saw ways in which people connected to these names that I couldn't have expected-- the way pins were left in the letters, the way flowers were pegged and flags," said Adad.
When all of the construction is finished the and the other towers are built as well as the roads and the train stations, the fences will all come down and the area will be completely opened to the public. The work is expected to take another five years.
"Today when people come on here they'll be able to look up and see the tallest building in the United States being built," said "Joe Daniels, 9/11 memorial president. "The vision for the long term is this is going to be a permanent part of the landscape."
Security is tight at the memorial because of the construction, but also because organizers of the memorial know it is still a possible terrorist target.
CBS' Manuel Gallegus reports.
"It's a positive step, we see the building here, we see the memorial itself and next year when the museum opens it is going to be another positive," said Charles Zurenko, volunteer worker.
Cascading water and reflecting pools, each an acre wide, now sit where the towers stood. The names of each victim are etched in Bronze. The bronze plaques will be warmed in the winter and cooled in the summer so people can always touch them, as family members did Sunday.
The architect of the memorial, Michael Adad says he's deeply touched by how many people are reacting to the creation.
"You saw ways in which people connected to these names that I couldn't have expected-- the way pins were left in the letters, the way flowers were pegged and flags," said Adad.
When all of the construction is finished the and the other towers are built as well as the roads and the train stations, the fences will all come down and the area will be completely opened to the public. The work is expected to take another five years.
"Today when people come on here they'll be able to look up and see the tallest building in the United States being built," said "Joe Daniels, 9/11 memorial president. "The vision for the long term is this is going to be a permanent part of the landscape."
Security is tight at the memorial because of the construction, but also because organizers of the memorial know it is still a possible terrorist target.
CBS' Manuel Gallegus reports.
