GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Green Bay’s 9-11 memorial downtown will be a topic of discussion at Green Bay’s Public Arts Commission meeting this week.
Over more than a decade, the monument, located in from of the Neville Public Museum, has slowly deteriorated because the wrong type of marble was used as the base.
Years later, it was discovered that flight information had been etched into the marble incorrectly.
Written in the cracked stone, it says American Airlines 175 and United Airlines 93, when it should be United Airlines 175 and American Airlines 77.
The names of those lost in the terror attack, which are also engraved in the stone, are fading due to severe weathering.
Scannell says until recently, did they have a committee that could tackle the project correctly.
“We’re really thinking it should be deaccessioned, taken down, and parts of it reused for a new memorial and that we should look for some artists, have them come up with some designs and see what we like,” Scannell said.
If the city decides to replace the tribute, Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith says he has an idea on where to put it.
“It’s going to be a huge expense for the city to repair it and possibly repair it over and over again. I suggested maybe with a new police and fire headquarters complex… that would be the perfect place to have a memorial,” said Smith.
Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt’s Chief of Staff Celestine Jefferys says one of the next steps will be to assess the monument and its condition.
It could take a couple of years to complete a new memorial, if that’s the route the city’s decides to go.
The commission meeting takes place Wednesday at 8 a.m. at City Hall.
