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World Trade Center Sphere's Uncertain Fate Worries 9/11 Families

By

Jen Chung

Published Feb 28, 2011

Modified Feb 28, 2011

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Photograph by wallyg on Flickr

 

By

Jen Chung

Published Feb 28, 2011

Modified Feb 28, 2011

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A sculpture that once stood in the World Trade Center plaza and was damaged from debris during the 9/11 attacks has been in Battery Park since 2002. But construction is scheduled for Battery Park, which means The Sphere needs to move again—and some families of 9/11 victims say they'll boycott the 10th anniversary of the attacks if it's not moved back to the World Trade Center site.

DNAinfo reports that Michael Burke, whose firefighter brother was killed on 9/11, started a petition to return the Fritz Koenig-sculpted work to the WTC: "Burke has been begging memorial officials for years to move the sphere back to the Trade Center site. However, Burke said the officials have told him they do not want any 9/11 artifacts cluttering the 8-acre memorial plaza, which will have 400 trees and waterfalls in the tower footprints."

The Port Authority is apparently thinking about relocating The Sphere to Liberty Park, but Liberty Park isn't scheduled to be complete until "at least 2013," which means The Sphere would be put in storage.

Tagged

9/11

9/11 attacks

battery park

liberty park

port authority

September 11 attacks

the sphere

world trade center

wtc

wtc attacks

Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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