9/11 Memorial Discussed at Council Meeting

Fire Department Capt. Joseph Matsch informed the City Council this week on an in-the-works 9/11 memorial on the corner of Rexford Drive and Little Santa Monica Boulevard.

The project broke ground Sept. 11, 2010 and will feature a piece of steel from the World Trade Center, water effects, a walking path, lighting and a stone sculpture representing the Twin Towers. Construction started April 19 and is expected to last 90 to 105 days.

A committee made up of Beverly Hills firefighters and police conceived and developed the idea using off-duty city personnel to build the memorial and held community meetings for design input, Matsch said. A board of directors and ad hoc committee meet every two weeks to monitor progress.

Funding for the project, in the form of donations from community members, has been "overwhelming," Matsch said. Fundraising ends June 15 and so far the project has garnered $305,000 toward an expected total cost of $325,000 to $340,000.

"We asked for private funds," Matsch said. "We do not want to have any city or public funds for this project."

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