NYC Dept. of Buildings unveils new agency memorial for 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks
Manhattan, NY Leading up to the 25th anniversary of the events of September 11th, 2001, deputy mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg and Buildings commissioner Ahmed Tigani unveiled a new permanent memorial at the Department of Buildings (DOB) headquarters in Lower Manhattan, commemorating the efforts of department personnel who answered the call and responded in the aftermath of the terrorist attack. This plaque, which hangs in the public first floor customer service atrium of the building is the first ever official 9/11-related memorial specifically dedicated to members of the Department of Buildings and their families.
“After the horrific attacks on September 11th, the public servants at the Department of Buildings, alongside colleagues across city government and our partners, were central to New York City’s recovery and rebuilding. As we mark the 25th anniversary and remember all those we lost — both that day and in the years that followed — I’m proud to join the Department of Buildings in honoring the New Yorkers and families whose lives were forever changed by that tragedy,” said mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani.
“Our city will never forget the New Yorkers we los on September 11th, and in the months and years that followed. We will forever owe a debt of gratitude to the public servants at DOB and other agencies who helped our city recover from the unthinkable. I’m grateful to the DOB team and our partners for establishing this worthy memorial,” said Leila Bozorg, deputy mayor for Housing and Planning.
“Twenty-five years later, the impact of September 11 continues to live with us, not only in the memories of those we lost, but in the stories of the New Yorkers who stepped forward to help our city recover and rebuild,” said commissioner Tigani. “At DOB, that history is part of our own institutional story, and I am honored that I can be part of the efforts to commemorate the members of our department and their families who serve as the ultimate example of what it means to be a public servant.”
Department inspectors, engineers, architects, and administrative staff played a critical role assisting first responders at ground zero in the direct aftermath of the attacks, as well as in subsequent recovery operations. In the days and weeks that followed the collapse, the first responders relied on department expertise to provide structural stability inspections and damage assessments of over 400 impacted buildings in Lower Manhattan. This work helped ensure that first responders could safely conduct searches, work crews could safely begin cleanup operations, and New Yorkers could safely return to their homes and places of work. DOB administrative staff also spent weeks working in the city’s Emergency Operations Center at Pier 92 on Manhattan’s West Side, helping coordinate these recovery efforts.
The memorial plaque unveiled at today’s ceremony honors DOB employees and their family members who supported the recovery operations in Lower Manhattan after the attacks, as well as all those at DOB who later lost their lives to 9/11 related illnesses. The plaque will serve as a permanent reminder of the service, sacrifice, and enduring legacy of our colleagues and their families.
The ceremony to unveil the plaque, which occurred on Wednesday, September 9th was recorded and livestreamed on the Department’s YouTube page. A video with interviews from DOB staff who served during 9/11 was also played at the ceremony and will be made available on DOB’s YouTube.