Stone Harbor Breaks Ground on New Freedom Park

STONE HARBOR – Stone Harbor Mayor Suzanne Walters and members of Borough Council officially broke ground on the new Stone Harbor Freedom Park that will be located between 96th Street and Seng Place. The new park will provide a passive recreation area in the downtown district and include an artifact recovered from the World Trade Center site in New York City following the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the United States.
“We are absolutely thrilled to break ground on this new park that will provide an everlasting tribute to the victims, heroes, and their families who were all directly impacted by the events of September 11th”, Mayor Walters said. “We are grateful for the participation from the Cape May County Open Space Program and from volunteers who made this park a reality in our community”.
The Stone Harbor Freedom Park was created by the Taylor Design Group, Inc. of Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Engineering services were provided by Remington & Vernick Engineer Marc DiBlasio. Marandino Construction will serve as the main contractor for the project, which should be largely completed before the end of July. The artifact from the World Trade Center will be placed at the Park shortly before the dedication ceremony Sept. 11.
The new Stone Harbor Freedom Park will include a small section of I-beam secured from the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey. The artifact came from the site of the World Trade Center, and was one of the final artifacts to be released by the Authority to a local community for an everlasting tribute.
Stone Harbor Freedom Park will be located just east of the Stone Harbor Fireman’s Memorial, steps away from Stone Harbor Borough Hall, the business district, and a new branch of the Cape May County Library System. The Park features a small civic gathering space with small tables and benches. It includes a free standing stone wall, small trellis, and natural features including drought-tolerant trees, flowering vines, and lawn areas. A small light pole will spotlight the artifact during the evening hours.
The wall will also feature a special plaque that will the inscription: “This Park is dedicated to celebrate the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans…And to honor the commitments of those who provide and protect those freedoms. The Steel Artifact was retrieved from the World Trade Center in New York City after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It symbolizes the sorrow and travail that we must sometimes endure in pursuit of freedom and independence”.
For more information and a photo of the conceptual design of the Stone Harbor Freedom Park, visit www.stoneharbornj.org