Group conceptualizes park to forever remember building collapse victims
Committee seeks permanent memorial for victims of the 22nd and Market collapse.
MORE THAN 6,000 petition signatures are serving as the impetus for a new committee seeking a permanent memorial at the site of June's Market Street building collapse.
The 22nd & Market Memorial Committee is made up of friends and family of those who died last year, including City Treasurer Nancy Winkler, whose 24-year-old daughter was among the six killed. Members also include local civic and business leaders and urban planning and design professionals who hope to erect a temporary memorial at the site by June 5, the first anniversary of the collapse.
Winkler jump-started the online petition in September at change.org, where she and 6,205 (as of last night) others are asking Mayor Nutter to work with them in funding a memorial park at 22nd and Market streets.
Tad Decker, vice chairman of the Cozen O'Connor law firm and a committee member, said the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has served as an adviser to the committee and is helping establish a tax-exempt fund, to which members of the public can contribute.
Anything permanent, however, would have to be approved by both the city and the Salvation Army thrift store, which owns that parcel of land.
"We hope the city and the Salvation Army will see the benefit of doing this on some sort of temporary basis, while plans for that block are sorted out over a period of time," Decker said.