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The People’s 9/11 Memorial Wall in Hartsdale’s Richard Presser Park is set to be torn down this week, Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner said on Saturday, March 15.
The People’s 9/11 Memorial Wall was built in 2003 after a collaboration between the Town of Greenburgh and ArtsWestchester. In addition to the tiles painted by community members, the memorial also featured a piece of metal from the World Trade Center and an artist-commissioned illustration on its reverse side.
However, the wall has struggled to withstand the elements over the years, Feiner said. By 2011, tiles began cracking and falling off the structure. Town officials twice attempted to reattach the tiles, but the problems persisted due to moisture damage and poor drainage.
In September 2023, Feiner announced that around 80 percent of the tiles had fallen, with some held together only by surrounding grout. The Greenburgh Parks Department had started carefully removing and storing the remaining tiles in crates while officials worked on a plan for a new memorial.
With the wall set to be demolished, Feiner said town officials are discussing a new memorial design, which could be placed at Greenburgh Town Hall instead of Richard Presser Park. The Rotary Club, which contributed to the original memorial, has expressed interest in helping fund the new project.
According to Feiner, if officials chose to repair the existing wall it would have cost around $100,000, and there would be no guarantee it would last.
Once the People’s 9/11 Memorial Wall is removed, Richard Presser Park will have more open space for visitors to enjoy, Feiner said.
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