Ready or Not, 9/11 Memorial to Open by 10th Anniversary

New York, NY —

The new schedule for the World Trade Center's redevelopment calls for the memorial to be open on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks - September 11, 2011. But that doesn't mean it'll be open after that date. WNYC's Matthew Schuerman explains.

REPORTER: Gov. David Paterson was proud that the Port Authority was able to work out a construction plan that would allow the public to visit part of the memorial plaza, and view the waterfalls, for the ceremony marking the 10th anniversary. But the rest of the plaza, a visitors center, and the underground memorial museum, will still be under construction.

PATERSON: We are favoring the value of a memorial that will be open that day and will be open intermittently while we finish construction.

REPORTER: While officials haven't figured out what "intermittently" will mean, a spokesman said afterward that the plaza might be closed during the week but open on weekends, until the entire memorial is finished in mid-2013. For WNYC, I'm Matthew Schuerman.