Mayor Allows 9/11 Families WTC Access

Mayor Allows 9/11 Families WTC Access


Mayor Bloomberg and a group of families of people who died on 9/11 reached a compromise Aug. 9 on where the commemoration will take place.

MAYOR BLOOMBERG: Praised for listening. The city originally wanted to have the anniversary ceremony at nearby Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan, away from the heavy construction at Ground Zero, which sparked outrage from bereaved families who demanded to be near the World Trade Center site.

'Listened To Us'

This year, the ceremony will start at Zuccotti Park. After that, families will have the opportunity to walk single-file into the center of Ground Zero to place flowers. Several families met with Mayor Bloomberg Aug. 9 to make the case to be at Ground Zero.

"We wanted to go down the ramp and into the pit," said Deputy Chief Jim Riches, whose Firefighter son Jimmy died on 9/11. "The ramp had a lot of meaning to us."

The compromise pleased Mr. Riches.

"He listened to us," he said of Mayor Bloomberg. "He said our plan was acceptable. He was like a Mayor should be."

In a statement, Mayor Bloomberg stated that he wanted to find the right balance of granting the grieving families their wishes and maintaining a safe environment at Ground Zero.

"I have asked the Port Authority for assurances that the plan we come up with is feasible from a safety standpoint and for a high volume of people," he said. "We plan to have a moving and dignified ceremony across the street at Zuccotti Park, and to provide everyone a chance to pay their respects."