Construction began on the World Trade Center Memorial and Museum

Wearing reflective white and yellow hard hats, construction workers descended March 13th into the World Trade Center site to begin the official construction of the World Trade Center Memorial and Museum.

The construction workers were joined by World Trade Center Memorial Foundation President and CEO Gretchen Dykstra, Lower Manhattan Development (LMDC) President Stefan Pryor, Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center Executive Director Charles Maikish, Memorial Foundation Executive Vice President for Construction William Goldstein, LMDC Director of Construction Lou Mendes, and others for the momentous start.

"This marks the true beginning," Dykstra said in a statement. "After September 11^th, many people around the world built temporary memorials, and now it is time to build a permanent memorial to pay tribute to those who died and to bring understanding to future generations."

Part of the initial site preparation, this first stage of work is scheduled to last from four to eight weeks and will include debris removal, engineering and surveying work, delivery of construction materials, and protecting the box beams of the original Twin Towers.  

The Memorial Foundation, in cooperation with the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, Monday also announced that it has selected Bovis Lend Lease LMB as construction manager for the project. Bovis Lend Lease will provide project services in two phases: preconstruction activities and management of early action construction work, followed by main construction of the project.

"Bovis is humbled, and privileged, to have been chosen by the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation to build the World Trade Center Memorial, which will stand as a permanent tribute to all those who lost their lives at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001," said Bovis CEO Peter Marchetto in a statement.

Bovis and the Memorial Foundation will work together to ensure that minority- and women-owned subcontractors (MWBE) are awarded meaningful roles in the project. Bovis will be called upon by the Foundation to provide proof of MWBE participation in all purchasing, subcontracting, and ancillary supplies and labor services.

"We have a deep interest in providing opportunity to all qualified laborers through the construction of the Memorial," Dykstra said in a statement. "We're pleased that Bovis shares our commitment to creating a diverse workforce."

For future construction updates, check back here on LowerManhattan.info. The memorial and museum are expected to be completed in 2009.