The Freedom Tower

Michael Bloomberg has distinguished himself again.
Bloomberg last week met with representatives of families of 9/11 victims, upset when they were told by the city that memorial services for their relatives could not be held at Ground Zero. In the years since 9/11, Ground Zero has become a very busy construction site.

But last week, Bloomberg agreed to their proposal to descend briefly into the seven-story pit of what had been the basement of Ground Zero on September 11 to pay their respects to their fallen relatives.
Ground Zero is hallowed ground for these but they were told memorial services for their relatives would be moved to a nearby, small park in lower Manhattan because of the heavy construction. They sternly objected.
The city had announced last month that the sixth anniversary ceremony could not be held at the 16-acre trade center site, as it had been each year since the 2001 attacks.

But Bloomberg met with representatives for the families and said later that the families’ proposal for “a very limited and controlled level of access” to the pit had been deemed safe by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the lower Manhattan site.

“We will work with the Port Authority to allow family members to safely descend the ramp” into the pit, he said in a statement.

Family members arrived at the meeting armed with charts and a map outlining their proposal, said Sally Regenhard, relative of a victim whose remains were never recovered. The Associated Press said the mayor agreed after the meeting to allow family members to descend all the way to the level of bedrock.

“They’ll just have a moment to toss their flowers on the sacred ground,” said Regenhard, who declared herself “very, very happy” with the agreement.