WTC Records Folder 0123 Clippings label, Sept 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

DRAFT

December 10, 2001

John C. Whitehead

Chairman, Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Corporation

Dear Chairman Whitehead:

We are writing on behalf of the Memorial Process Team, which is made up of more than 60 professionals representing important professional, civic, academic, arts and municipal organizations. The team was established to make preliminary recommendations regarding the development of a September 11 memorial with the New York New Visions coalition, and will release its final report in mid-December.

We applaud your recent statements as Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Corporation (LMRC) regarding your intention to make a memorial to the events of September 11 central to any redevelopment plans. For the LMRC to achieve its goal, we recommend that a September 11 Memorial Advisory Task Force be created immediately and that this body oversee all aspects of the process of planning a memorial. Our recommendation is based on several findings related to our research and outreach efforts:

• In Oklahoma City, a Memorial Task Force was established within 2 months of the terrorist attack and successfully implemented a memorial within 5 years • A need exists to reach out to and unity a wide range of constituencies and interests related to a memorial • The memorial's potential economic impact on the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan will be significant • Complex issues related to temporary memorials, land designation, funding, design and management require immediate attention

We recommend that the Task Force be made up of representatives from a number of different groups, including; family members, victims, rescuers, neighborhood representatives, religious leaders, architects, planners, major stake holders, representatives and public officials from the art/cultural/historical/landmark communities, state and federal agencies and concerned citizens. The challenge will be far greater than in Oklahoma City, which adds to its urgency.

The Memorial Process Team has developed a full set of principles, findings, and recommendations that we believe will be crucial to the work of the Memorial Task Force, and they are being documented in a detailed briefing book, including transcripts from preliminary outreach sessions and a database of memorial experts. It is imperative to begin now, given the range of memorial ideas, proposals, projects, and issues that are now being debated, all of which need an official sounding board and forum as soon as possible.

We urge you to take action as soon as possible. and the undersigned are ready to assist in this effort should you choose to convene a meeting or other initiative to move forwards in to establish a Memorial Task Force.

Sincerely,

Members of the Memorial Process Team, New York New Visions

Co-Coordinators Raymond Gastil and Jill Lerner

NYC-WTC 000137004