Car Rental New York City and the World Trade Center Memorial

September 11, 2001 was a day that forever changed the lives of so many, and continues to do so today. The tragedy of 9/11 lives on in the hearts of everyone who was impacted, directly, or indirectly by the events that took place. If you are to visit the location today in your New York car rental, you will see an cleared space that has been reserved for as a memorial for those that lost their lives that day. Plans were made almost immediately as to what should take the place of the twin towers, and how to commemorate the memories of the lives lost. By spring 2003, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) launched a competition open to everyone around the world to design a memorial at the World Trade Center site.

World Trade Center Memorial

Over 5,200 teams from 63 nations participated in the World Trade Center Memorial proposals – a true testament to the universality of the loss. By November of the same year, a thirteen member jury, selected eight finalists and by January 6, 2004, Michael Arad and Peter Walker were announced as the winners for their design entitled Reflecting Absence.

The winning memorial proposes a space that resonates with the feelings of loss and absence that were generated by the destruction of the World Trade Center and the taking of thousands of lives on September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993.

Construction of the Memorial will begin in the spring of 2006 and is set to open on September 11, 2009. If you visit frequently in your New York car rental, you will be able to see the stages of the memorial’s progress. If you take your New York car rental once it is revealed, you will then see the Memorial in its entirety. Plans of the memorial have it consisting of two voids that reside in the original path of the Twin Towers surrounded by a forest of oak trees. Each void will hold a pool of water filled by waterfalls on all sides. New York car rental visitors will descend 30 feet to galleries underneath the waterfalls where they will be met by a continuous ribbon of names inscribed with those who died. A Memorial Museum will also be built on the same site.

World Trade Center Memorial Foundation

The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation was formed as a non-profit corporation to raise funds and manage the planning and construction of the memorial. The foundation plans to raise $500 million (US) to build not only the memorial, but also the memorial museum. The foundation also created a website designed to bring together the global community of people who care about 9/11 and to provide regular updates on the building progress.

About the World Trade Centre

Built at a time when New York's future seemed uncertain, the towers restored confidence and helped bring a halt to the decline of lower Manhattan. Brash, glitzy, and grand, they quickly became symbols of New York. The towers were instant landmarks from the time they were erected. The north tower was opened in December 1970 and the south tower in January 1972. At the time they were the world's tallest buildings, but the title was short-lived as the Sears Tower in Chicago was completed in May 1973 and claimed the title. Even still, the towers were ranked as the fifth and sixth tallest buildings in the world.

The twin towers of the World Trade Center were more than just buildings - they were proof of New York's belief in itself. Visit part of New York’s history in the making on your New York car rental trip and visit the future home of the World Trade Centre Memorial.