Magnolia City Council and City Administrator Paul Mendes have been discussing a proposal for obtaining a 9/11 memorial for the city.

Mendes said the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is offering artifacts of the World Trade Center for cities to turn into memorials or monuments.

The idea originated from an Oct. 12 meeting where a local resident suggested that Magnolia needed a memorial and should invest in one.

Mendes said the idea is in the early stages, but that the city is seriously considering the possibility.

“Council definitely expresses an interest,” he said.

Port Authority media relations representative Steve Coleman said the primary criteria cities or organizations must meet in order to obtain a piece of the World Trade Center is that once it has been received, it must be a public display.

According to Coleman, city officials would need to submit a sketch and proposal of the memorial to the Port Authority and where it would be placed in order for the application to be approved.

Mendes said the city is considering what size and type of artifact council thinks would best fit Magnolia. He suggested that the memorial could be placed at Unity Park or a heavily traveled intersection.

Pieces of the World Trade Center may vary from a piece of steel about 2 feet long, to a large piece or several pieces depending on what the city is requesting, according to Coleman.

Once the city is approved and meets the criteria to receive the artifact, the piece is then donated to the town. The only cost the city would cover would be that of the move to Magnolia.

Coleman said the Port Authority works with each town on the best transportation plans. He is currently working on several requests to meet the needs of all cities and organizations that wish to display a 9/11 memorial.

“We have gotten more than 1,000 requests from all 50 states and six foreign countries,” Coleman said.

Although no decision has been made, City Council discussed the idea further at its regular meeting on Nov. 9. Mayor Todd Kana asked Mendes to research more information, such as costs the city would incur, which could also include the cost of building the memorial location.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed