Shown is an artist’s rendering of the Allen County 9/11 Memorial that will be erected in the Greater Lima Region Park & Amphitheater.
Photo courtesy of the Allen County 9/11 Memorial committee
LIMA — Wednesday marks the 23rd anniversary of the attacks by foreign adversaries on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and hijackers who brought down a jetliner that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
A total of 2,977 people died that day, the largest single-day loss of life ever on American soil.
The events of Sept. 11, 2011, left an indelible mark on those old enough to grasp the horror that ensued, as well as the feeling of unity that gripped a nation in the days, months and years that followed.
So inspired were a group of Allen County residents that in April 2018, an exploratory committee formed to establish an Allen County 9/11 Memorial. The stated goal of the non-profit, tax-exempt organization was the erection of a memorial on land adjacent to the Shawnee Township Fire Department on Fort Amanda Road.
Later the following year, as fundraising efforts began, Allen County 9/11 Memorial Foundation President Jeff Rosebrock summed up his personal feelings about the memorial.
“My main intention behind this thing is to always remember the lives we lost that day,” Rosebrock explained at the time. “It was a tragic event, it changed our country forever. But we also need to use it as an educational piece. We need to teach our children about that day so we never forget, and that we remember the impact it had. My children weren’t alive for that, so this is important for me so they can see it and put things into perspective for them.”
As the years passed, however, changes in the local landscape ultimately forced the local 9/11 committee to adjust its focus.
“First there was COVID, then there were changes in personnel within Shawnee Township,” he said. “And, frankly, the fundraising wasn’t going great” for the project that had an original cost of around $400,000, Rosebrock said earlier this week.
Earlier this decade, as efforts to revitalize the downtown Lima area began to gain steam, Rosebrock said the 9/11 committee decided to explore other options for the memorial. He reached out to Tracie Sanchez of the Lima Rotary Club, who was among a group of community-minded business owners who spearheaded the Greater Lima Region Park & Amphitheater efforts, and to city officials for ideas.
“A flag pole was part of our original design, and it was communicated to us that a flag pole was needed at the new amphitheater. We already had secured a donation for the pole, and everyone seemed to be on board that the 9/11 memorial could be placed on the amphitheater grounds,” Rosebrock said.
As discussions were underway for a redesigned memorial, landscape designer Pat Beam of Beam Designs came up with a new concept proposal — at a significantly reduced cost. Instead of a $400,000 undertaking, the new design carries with it a price tag of $60,000.
“And we already have $38,000 in donations,” Rosebrock said.
The committee has secured a length of steel from the World Trade Center, a piece of limestone from the Pentagon and a boulder from the Shanksville crash site. The items will be displayed alongside three flags in a landscaped area of the park.
Educational programs will be developed to keep the memory of 9/11 alive, especially for students, according to the committee. Fundraising is expected to be completed this fall and groundbreaking will be scheduled for the spring of 2025 with a dedication planned for September 11, 2025, Rosebrock said.
Donors who previously made contributions to the memorial have all been contacted “to see if they’re on board with the changes, and everyone said ‘absolutely,’” he added.
The Allen County 9/11 Memorial is a 501(c)(3) organization through the Lima Community Foundation.
Donations may be made payable to Lima Community Foundation (write 9/11 Memorial on memo line) or on the organization’s website at AllenCounty911Memorial.org.
