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During the weeks following the September 11, 2001 attack on the World
Trade Center, an asphalt lot in Tribeca became a staging area for police
and fire personnel and a gateway to Lower Manhattan. Surrounded by a
fence adorned with yellow ribbons, it symbolized hope.
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This
asphalt lot was used as a staging area during the September 11
tragedy, but will soon become a park. It will serve as a tribute
to the individuals who participated in the recovery effort.
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Now, as
plans with the City of New York are finalized, the Associated Landscape
Contractors of America (ALCA) is preparing to convert the half-acre
site into a permanent tribute to the valiant individuals who participated
in the rescue and recovery effort. The park will also pay homage to
the
thousands who never returned home on that fateful day.
ALCA anticipates that those who frequent the park will find renewed
hope and come to appreciate the healing benefits of a beautiful environment.
Key elements will include a fountain, which will serve as the site’s
focal point, spacious brick plaza areas with built-in seating and lushly
designed planting areas for four-season interest. Finally, the park
will be surrounded by a perimeter of Greenspire Lindens, creating a
green
oasis in an otherwise busy, urban location. The project is expected
to cost between $1.5 and $2.2 million.
The idea of doing something to support the city developed shortly after
the World Trade Center tragedy, according to ALCA Board Member Jim Martin,
president of James Martin Associates, a Chicago-area landscape firm.
Martin is heading up the effort to bring the park to life.
“
The genesis of this was that after the events of September 11, the ALCA
board waived the dues for members living within a 50-mile radius of Manhattan,” Martin
explained. “But many of these members still sent dues, so ALCA
created a special fund with the intention of donating the money to
the City of New York in some meaningful way.”
Converting the staging area site into a park was already under consideration
when ALCA contacted the city, according to Martin. The city suggested
ALCA donate their funds to help finance the city’s park plans,
but the landscape contractor group had something more substantial in
mind. It stepped forward and volunteered to oversee and fund the entire
project. The city agreed and ALCA wasted no time launching the design
phase.
“
ALCA did an outreach to its members with design/build capabilities and
about 25 individuals volunteered to come together for a three-day collaborative
competition which involved breaking into teams and developing concepts,” Martin
said. “Each team presented its concept and the best features
from each were selected. As it turned out, something from every group
became
part of the final concept.”
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Want
to help with park project? Find out how at www.alca.org.
After months of planning, design work and approvals, construction of
Renaissance Park in New York City will very soon be underway. All of
the preliminary work was donated, but ALCA has now unveiled a significant
fundraising campaign. Contributions in the form of money, labor, material
and equipment are welcome and all donations will be recognized. There
are a variety of programs to choose from and all are detailed on the
ALCA website at www.alca.org.
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At that point, individuals from four firms took the lead in refining
the concepts and developing a final design. Those involved in this phase
were: Bruce Hunt of The Brickman Group, Ltd., Long Grove, Illinois; Mark
Polinko of ILT Vignocchi, Wauconda, Illinois; David Fiore of Glen Gate
Company, Wilton, Connecticut and Rick Doesburg of Thornton Landscape,
Inc., Maineville, Ohio.
With the design work close to being finalized and the last municipal
hurdles nearly cleared, construction is about ready to begin. ALCA is
now seeking financial support for the project and intends to raise enough
money to not only build the park, but also to establish a fund dedicated
to its future maintenance. (See boxed area.)
“
I believe this is a unique opportunity for folks all around the country
to do something on a positive note for what may hold up as the most significantly
historical event of the 21st century,” Martin commented. “Here
we are in a position to broaden peoples’ connection to the event
by giving them the opportunity to make a long-term, lasting donation
to a park that has symbolically been designed to pay respect to the
volunteers who helped in the aftermath of 9/11.”
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