Pataki Announces $100 Million for WTC Memorial

 By Barry Owens


The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation announced during a press conference Oct. 20 that the group has raised more than $100 million in private donations and will now begin seeking public donations for the construction of the memorial and museum.

LMDC chairman John Whitehead and Gov. George Pataki at the signing of legislation allowing for check-off contributions to the WTC Memorial on state tax forms. Earlier in the month, Whitehead criticized Pataki for removing the International Freedom Center from the proposed culture building on the World Trade Center site without consultation with the LMDC board. Photo: Allan Tannenbaum

The foundation first began soliciting from private individuals, corporations and foundations six months ago and the Memorial Foundation's president, Gretchen Dykstra, said surpassing the $100 million mark was a "powerful indication" of broad support for the project. "Americans want this memorial built," she said, noting that the foundation had already received donations from 38 states and seven nations.

Gov. George Pataki used the occasion to sign in to law tax check-off legislation that will allow New Yorkers to donate to the memorial when filing their returns. Donors can also contribute through the foundation's web site, www.buildthememorial.org.

"New Yorkers will respond and we will generate tens of millions of dollars from people all across the state who understand the importance of not forgetting," Pataki said.

The press event was Pataki's first public appearance in Lower Manhattan since he nixed the International Freedom Center from afar last month, an exclusionary move that drew fire from members of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) and the board's chairman, John Whitehead. (See story.)
Whitehead, who is also the chairman of the memorial foundation, shared the stage with Pataki and heralded the foundation's achievement of raising $101,031,074 towards it's $500 million goal. The LMDC is expected to allocate $300 million on top of the public contributions.

"We're well on our way," said Whitehead.

Pataki dismissed a reporter's suggestion that the day's press event was little more than an opportunity to deflect attention from the recent rift over the International Freedom Center, a museum opposed by victim's family groups and removed from the site last month by the governor without the input of the LMDC. Pataki said it would be left to the LMDC to decide on future tenants of the Snohetta building.

Both the IFC and the Drawing Center, originally proposed as the cultural institutions to be housed in the building, have been excluded from the site in recent months following protest from victim's family member groups. Community Board 1, shut out of recent discussions on the fate of the cultural institutions, this month adopted a resolution calling for greater transparency in the planning process.

"The interest of local residents and workers and the downtown community as a whole are being ignored as
Pataki is cheered following his signing of the WTC Memorial
the redevelopment process has become increasingly politicized," the resolution reads in part. (See story.)