New York Times article on survivor relocation

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

THE NEW YORK TIMES METRO ERIDAY, JANUARY 4,■2002 I.+ B3

CITY

Agencies Say Relocation ofSurvivors’ Aid Center Comes as a Surprise By BARBARA STEWART mony in closing this.” Agency officials and employees Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg an­ nounced yesterday afternoon that also said they were worried that cer­ tain advantages of the Pier 94 center the comprehensive social services might be lost in the move. In particu­ center set up on Pier 94 for people '1' left jobless, homeless, bereaved or injured by the attack on the World wM". I lar, they were concerned that there mi^ht not be space for some agen­ cies at the new location. The proximi­

)f Trade Center would shut down today, and that a similar center would open in a city-owned downtown building on aw ty of the various agencies was one of the best features of the Pier 94 cen­ e ter, said Maj. George Polarek, a Sab Monday. vation Army commander. “We got to t- He said that many of the leaders of know each other,” he said. “We could <t organizations that have been offer­ h walk clients to another agency and in ing economic, legal and emotional stay with them through the entire help at the Pier 94 center were “ec­ process.” ■t static” about the move. Also important to many agency I . But representatives of the various workers was the preservation of the agencies said yesterday that they remembrance wall at Pier 94, cov­ had not been told about the closing or ered with hundreds of letters, draw­ the move. They said they would have appreciated more notice. The new center will be situated at aaM ings and posters of the missing. Mr. Greenspun said that the photos, post­ ers and letters would be taken off the .51 Chambers Street, a 13,000-square- wall and eventually exhibited at the foot space that used to be an Emi­ Museum of the City of New York. grant Savings Bank branch. Like the He also said that most agencies Pier 94 center, it will be a social would be given space at the Cham­ services version of one-stop shop­ bers Street building but that some of ping, said Jonathan D. Greenspun, the specialized services, like hot commissioner of the Community As­ meals and DNA sampling to help sistance Unit. Most of the 15 or so identify victims, might not be avail­ agencies at Pier 94 — which included able. Signs will be posted at the Pier the Red Cross, the Federal Emer­ G. Paul Burneii/The New York Times 94 site about the new downtown cen­ Hl gency Management Agency, Safe Photos of the missing from the Sept. 11 attack adorn the exterior of Pier 94 on the Hudson. The assistance ter and information will be posted on Horizons, the Salvation Army and a World Trade Center Web sites, Mr. center inside is to shut down today and reopen in a city-owned downtown building on Monday. chaplains’ center — will-have sta­ Greenspun said. tions there, he said. Mr. Minson, the chaplain, said that i_» in Mr. Greenspun said that agency And Becky Michaels of Safe Hori­ encountered workers packing equip­ site and had heard rumors of various in the long fun, the move would prob­ representatives were told at a meet­ zons said; “There’s been an ever­ ment that the agencies had been us­ moving dates, but that the timing ably be a good thing. But it would I-*! cd ing Wednesday evening about the liquid' end date. But it hadn’t ever ing. The Rev. Bill Minson found that had come as a surprise. have been better, he said, to give '=’! ve closing. But officials of the Red been concrete” the curtains surrounding the chap­ “I’m in shock,” said a volunteer at employees, volunteers and family as Cross, Safe Horizons and the Salva­ Mr. Greenspun said that the relo­ lains’ station had been removed. the American Society for the Preven­ members more time to say goodbye ° a tion Army said that references to the cation of the center was necessary to “We had to ask them to please put tion of Cruelty to Animals. “Where to a center that has been the focus of id closing were vague. The Red Cross them up again and leave them until are we going to go now? We’ve been so much grief. accommodate a trade show sched­ ’e learned of the moving date only yes­ uled to open at Pier 94 in 10 days. the end of the day,” he said. here all these months, through all “We experienced a lot of emotions o t terday afternoon, said Nancy Ruth­ Employees who arrived at Pier 94 Employees said they had long these emotional times and now — here,” he said. “We’ve given a lot ol co co erford, an agency spokeswoman. yesterday expecting a typical day known that Pier 94 was a temporary poof I 1 think we deserved some cere- comfort and felt a lot of stress.”

NYC-WTC_000182171