Bloomberg Hails WTC Progress, Encourages New Yorkers to Take Part in Rebuilding Effort

The following is text from the mayor’s weekly radio address as prepared for delivery on 1010 WINS news radio today. 

A week ago tonight, most New Yorkers were watching with rapt attention as President Obama delivered news almost 10 years in the making: That Osama bin Laden, who launched an unprecedented attack against our city and nation on September 11, 2001, had finally paid for his crimes.  Since then, New Yorkers and Americans have struggled to absorb the enormity of the news and what it means for our future.  But I believe there’s one endeavor we can all agree is a proper response: the ongoing rebuilding at the World Trade Center site.

On Thursday, we were proud to show President Obama this progress.  Because looking out at the beehive of activity at the site and the quickening pace of construction, you can’t help but feel the sense of a commitment being fulfilled.  If you’ve been over to the site lately, or seen recent footage of it, you will understand what I’m talking about:  The rebuilding of the World Trade Center is moving forward, full throttle.  Each morning, truckload after truckload of steel and concrete stream onto the site.  Jackhammers are buzzing, cranes are swinging girders into place, and new towers are stretching higher and higher into the sky. 

In fact, 7 World Trade Center, which stands at the northern gateway to the site, is open for business and two-thirds leased.  Four World Trade Center has risen above 25 stories.  One World Trade – soon to be America’s tallest building – is above 60 stories, and adding another floor every nine days .  At ground level and below, the National September 11th Memorial is on track to open four months from now, providing a powerful and permanent place of reflection and remembrance.

Already, there is a generation of children growing up who are too young to understand what happened on 9/11.  That’s what makes building the memorial one of the most important obligations we have.  It will ensure that the story of 9/11 is never forgotten and that the memory of the more than 2,900 innocent people who died that day is never lost. 

The National 9/11 Memorial Foundation has made tremendous progress building the memorial, and we could never have come so far without the more than 300,000 donations from people from every state and 38 countries around the world.  The foundation is still actively seeking donations to help us open and operate the memorial in time for the 10th anniversary of the attacks.  So please help us build this national memorial by donating to the effort.  Visit the foundation’s website at www.911Memorial.org or call 311 for more information.  Reach out to your colleagues and friends, too.  It’s something we can all do as a tribute to the men and women whose sacrifices – both here and abroad – have brought us to this moment.

But even with the news of the successful mission against Osama bin Laden, we are under no illusions that the war on terrorism is over.  The NYPD and our partners in law enforcement remain vigilant in gathering intelligence, hunting down leads, and defending us against all those who might use violence to attack our freedoms.  And I’m also proud to see that the events of recent days and the progress at the World Trade Center site have renewed our spirit.  In the days after 9/11, we came together as a nation like never before, and now we are together once again. 

By Michael Bloomberg

Bloomberg is the 108th mayor of New York City and serves as chairman on the 9/11 Memorial's board of directors