Nassau 9/11 memorial opening on hold
Nassau 9/11 memorial opening on hold
BY CELESTE HADRICKNewsday Staff WriterAugust 24, 2006
The opening of Nassau's 9/11 memorial, which had been planned for Labor Day, was abruptly postponed this week after its architects complained that County Executive Thomas Suozzi was compromising public safety for political purposes.A top Suozzi aide flatly denied the charge and said the opening was delayed because it could not be pulled together in time for Sept. 4. Phil Gavosto and Keith Striga, local architects who designed the memorial and are managing its construction in Eisenhower Park, wrote Suozzi aide Ian Siegel earlier this month, alleging that some members of the county-sponsored foundation running the project were trying to cut corners.
"Attempting to rush this project for a 'soft' open in the early part of September appears to be politically motivated," they charged in the memo obtained by Newsday. "As the individuals responsible for the site safety of the project, we will not endorse the opening to the public without the necessary elements installed to protect the people."After Newsday inquired, Siegel, who also heads the foundation, postponed the opening to an unspecified date this fall. He said he wasn't aware of the complaints or questions when he made his decision.Siegel said he realized he did not have time to organize a first-class event. While he said the memorial would be substantially complete by Labor Day, the site would look barren without grass or shrubbery.
"This is being built for the families of Nassau County who lost their loved ones," he said."We would never compromise safety or aesthetics or anything like that."He denied the opening had been timed to give publicity to Suozzi, who is running in the Sept. 12 Democratic primary for governor."The only date we were concerned about was Sept. 11," Siegel said. "We really wanted to deliver this to the families by Sept. 11." Suozzi declined to comment.Bob Bonanza, president of Local 66 General Building Laborers and a foundation member, said, "I can tell you from the start, not one political ounce came into this project."Suozzi announced plans in 2002 for a memorial honoring residents killed in the terrorist attacks. He set up the foundation to collect donations rather than spend taxpayer money. After a contest, the foundation chose Striga and Gavosto's design, which features two semi-transparent aluminum towers rising from a reflecting pool in front of a wall bearing the names of 343 Nassau victims. Suozzi initially predicted a Sept. 11, 2003, opening, but delays set in. When private funds fell short, the legislature allocated $500,000 to complete the $1-million-plus project.Last Friday, mounds of dirt and construction debris littered the site. Electricity had yet to be hooked up, and there were no guardrails to prevent visitors from tumbling over the wall, which is sunk 10 to 12 feet into the hillside next to Eisenhower Pond.In their memo, the two architects blamed the delays on the "inept" leadership of the foundation, which they said had "failed miserably" in fundraising.After being paid $75,000 for their drawings, the two stayed on as construction managers for no additional pay "to make sure what we designed was being built," Gavosto said in an interview. "There's no financial gain for us here. We want to make sure when we leave, we got the right job done."Siegel acknowledged that fundraising "has been more difficult than anticipated. Every year the general public has less and less interest in Sept. 11 memorials."Both Siegel and Gavosto praised volunteers from Long Island's labor unions for making the memorial happen."These guys are the heroes here," Gavosto said.Gavosto also charged he has been denied access to financial records he needs to manage supplies and deliveries. He said a subcontractor who delivered a load of lights this month received a foundation check dated next month.Siegel blamed a clerical error. Otherwise, he said, there is no truth to the architects' complaints. "This memorial is like their baby, and when it comes to their children, people get excited and I can respect that."
BY CELESTE HADRICKNewsday Staff WriterAugust 24, 2006
The opening of Nassau's 9/11 memorial, which had been planned for Labor Day, was abruptly postponed this week after its architects complained that County Executive Thomas Suozzi was compromising public safety for political purposes.A top Suozzi aide flatly denied the charge and said the opening was delayed because it could not be pulled together in time for Sept. 4. Phil Gavosto and Keith Striga, local architects who designed the memorial and are managing its construction in Eisenhower Park, wrote Suozzi aide Ian Siegel earlier this month, alleging that some members of the county-sponsored foundation running the project were trying to cut corners.
"Attempting to rush this project for a 'soft' open in the early part of September appears to be politically motivated," they charged in the memo obtained by Newsday. "As the individuals responsible for the site safety of the project, we will not endorse the opening to the public without the necessary elements installed to protect the people."After Newsday inquired, Siegel, who also heads the foundation, postponed the opening to an unspecified date this fall. He said he wasn't aware of the complaints or questions when he made his decision.Siegel said he realized he did not have time to organize a first-class event. While he said the memorial would be substantially complete by Labor Day, the site would look barren without grass or shrubbery.
"This is being built for the families of Nassau County who lost their loved ones," he said."We would never compromise safety or aesthetics or anything like that."He denied the opening had been timed to give publicity to Suozzi, who is running in the Sept. 12 Democratic primary for governor."The only date we were concerned about was Sept. 11," Siegel said. "We really wanted to deliver this to the families by Sept. 11." Suozzi declined to comment.Bob Bonanza, president of Local 66 General Building Laborers and a foundation member, said, "I can tell you from the start, not one political ounce came into this project."Suozzi announced plans in 2002 for a memorial honoring residents killed in the terrorist attacks. He set up the foundation to collect donations rather than spend taxpayer money. After a contest, the foundation chose Striga and Gavosto's design, which features two semi-transparent aluminum towers rising from a reflecting pool in front of a wall bearing the names of 343 Nassau victims. Suozzi initially predicted a Sept. 11, 2003, opening, but delays set in. When private funds fell short, the legislature allocated $500,000 to complete the $1-million-plus project.Last Friday, mounds of dirt and construction debris littered the site. Electricity had yet to be hooked up, and there were no guardrails to prevent visitors from tumbling over the wall, which is sunk 10 to 12 feet into the hillside next to Eisenhower Pond.In their memo, the two architects blamed the delays on the "inept" leadership of the foundation, which they said had "failed miserably" in fundraising.After being paid $75,000 for their drawings, the two stayed on as construction managers for no additional pay "to make sure what we designed was being built," Gavosto said in an interview. "There's no financial gain for us here. We want to make sure when we leave, we got the right job done."Siegel acknowledged that fundraising "has been more difficult than anticipated. Every year the general public has less and less interest in Sept. 11 memorials."Both Siegel and Gavosto praised volunteers from Long Island's labor unions for making the memorial happen."These guys are the heroes here," Gavosto said.Gavosto also charged he has been denied access to financial records he needs to manage supplies and deliveries. He said a subcontractor who delivered a load of lights this month received a foundation check dated next month.Siegel blamed a clerical error. Otherwise, he said, there is no truth to the architects' complaints. "This memorial is like their baby, and when it comes to their children, people get excited and I can respect that."
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