Steel Beam from Twin Towers Bombing bound for Palm Beach Gardens

Steel beam from the World Trade Center bound for Palm Beach Gardens 9/11 memorial
Source: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/steel-beam-from-the-world-trade-center-bound-586824.html

By Bill DiPaolo Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Updated: 10:53 p.m. Monday, April 19, 2010

PALM BEACH GARDENS — The 36-foot-long steel beam is bent, but city officials say they are proud that the remnant from the World Trade Center soon will be displayed at the planned Sept. 11 Memorial Park.

Steel beam number C-89, which was on the south tower between the 12th-15th floors, is expected to be in place by the ninth anniversary of the attacks. The brick-red beam, weighing 10 tons, will be placed reaching toward the sky in front of Fire Station 3 on the north side of Northlake Boulevard, just west of Military Trail.

"We are putting it straight up because we want to show Americans are still standing strong," said artist Mark Fuller, a West Palm Beach resident who was in New York City the day before the attacks.

Fuller, along with several other local landscape artists, engineers and land planners, have donated their time to build the memorial. The city has approved spending up to $60,000 out of the expected $140,000 cost, which includes time and labor from donors. The $60,000 is from a fund paid by developers that can only be used for public art. The site plan was approved Thursday night.

"Our goal is to do it all from donations and not use any of that $60,000," Fuller said.

The design will be simple, with lights, brick walkways, landscaping and 8-foot-tall glass panels etched with the names of the nearly 3,000 victims in half-inch letters. A police and firefighter symbol will be placed next to the names of all firefighters and police officers killed, said Fuller.

Donations are needed to pay for the glass and etchings of the names. Supporters hope someone will donate a truck to bring the beam from New York City to Palm Beach Gardens.

The plan calls for sending four city police officers and four firefighters to New York City. They will escort the flag-draped beam, bent from the searing heat on Sept. 11, 2001, to Palm Beach Gardens. A Memorial Day groundbreaking is planned.

"The truck will stop in Stuart. Motorcycles will gather and give us a big escort into the city," said Palm Beach Gardens Deputy Fire Chief C.R. Brown.

For information or to donate, go to pbgfl.com or call (561) 799-4315.