Ground zero deserves respectable monument

More than four years have come and gone since Sept. 11, 2001. The 9/11 Commission has long since concluded and made its recommendations. Earlier this summer, comprehensive archives of the day’s sights, sounds and oral histories were released to the public.

But the gaping hole in downtown Manhattan remains virtually the same, fraught with emotion. By now a memorial plan should be in place. At the very least, some consensus on the plans should exist. But instead, we have a cornerstone for a Freedom Tower laid on July 4, 2004 that has since been virtually abandoned.

Nobody wants an empty crater. The hole is a depressing, conspicuous showcase of uncertainty and terrorism. But no one wants to rush, either. I suggest New York Governor George Pataki and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation move forward expeditiously and keep simplicity in mind.

Of course, I do not advocate building something hastily. Building a site or structure with subpar security or an awkward design would be an obvious mistake. Many valid concerns have surfaced over the last four years, concerning security, future attacks and, unfortunately, money. But most of the recent hang-ups have involved politics and bureaucracy, obstacles similar to those that tripped up the federal government in the days before the 2001 attacks.

Governor Pataki and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation need to move quickly because the clock is ticking and the money is waning. The longer they wait and the more time they spend arguing, the more money that will be spent on the process, not the outcome. These drawn-out disputes, architects and expensive presentations and dioramas cost a considerable sum that could be going to help the victims’ families or the construction itself. In addition, New York has recently come full circle on design plans. The Freedom Tower plan — the latest in a series of final designs — is an eerie reincarnation of a plan rejected almost three years ago. This is a clear signal to hasten the process.

New York needs to move forward so America can move on. For some, rebuilding is a way to avenge feelings — a louder, stronger response to the destruction that came on 9/11. For most, it is an architectural quest to combine form and function in a way that honors the lost while reminding the living there is honor in moving forward. For all involved, completing the site is about closure. While Ground Zero has and needs to evoke special meaning for all of us — especially the affected families — it needs to be revitalized as soon as possible into the thriving hub of economic energy it used to be. The site and the people of New York need to return to the days when people, cars and trains scurried through the center of this global city.

People will obviously disagree on designs, but in the end the World Trade Center site should be a symbol of spirit and freedom, not a reminder of clashing architects and politicking suits. I imagine Governor Pataki and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation could easily win back their credibility by expediting and simplifying the plans for Ground Zero. The more efficiently they move, the better it will turn out.

Often, if an idea is allowed too much time on the bargaining table, it will never emerge alive. After four years, it is time to honor those who died, served and led on 9/11 with more than just a cornerstone.

Jo Kent is a Baker College senior.

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