Empty Promises: New Jersey Has Forgotten Its 9/11 Memorial and Leroy Truth and His Team Will Now Make Sure It Get Completed After Being Abandoned For 24 Years!

Liberty State Park / Jersey City

More than two decades after the tragic events of September 11, 2001, New Jersey proudly repeats the words: We Will Never Forget. Yet, the state’s complete disregard for the original construction plans and long-term maintenance of the Empty Sky Memorial in Liberty State Park tells a very different story—one that reeks of neglect, broken promises, and government indifference.

A Memorial Left to Decay

The Empty Sky Memorial was meant to be a solemn, enduring tribute to the 746 New Jersey residents who perished in both the 1993 and 2001 attacks. It was thoughtfully designed by architects Jessica Jamroz and Frederic Schwartz to align with Ground Zero and stand as a place of reflection and remembrance.

But what was promised is not what was delivered.

The memorial’s exterior was supposed to be a striking architectural concrete—a surface worthy of the lives it honors. Instead, in typical fashion, the state cut corners to save costs, opting for a bland, industrial concrete that looks nothing like the renderings approved years ago. The design was cheapened, and the result is a visual insult to those we vowed to remember forever.

Even worse, maintenance has been an afterthought at best. Over time, the site has become worn, weathered, and largely ignored by the very officials who once stood at podiums promising eternal vigilance and care.

New Jersey’s Hypocrisy on Full Display

The words We Will Never Forget have been stamped on license plates, banners, and political speeches—but what are they really worth when the state can’t even honor the most basic commitment to preserve the dignity of the memorial?

The Empty Sky Memorial should be pristine. It should be sacred. Instead, it stands as a symbol of neglect, as if the state of New Jersey has quietly moved on, comfortably assuming that the public won’t notice or care. But the families of the victims notice. Veterans notice. First responders notice. And many New Jerseyans notice.

How dare we preach about remembrance when the physical space meant to embody that remembrance has been allowed to deteriorate?

Where’s the Accountability?

The Department of Environmental Protection and other responsible state agencies have had years to correct these issues. Years to deliver on what was promised. Years to uphold the sacred duty of stewardship for this site. Yet nothing has changed.

Where are the emergency funds when it comes to preserving this hallowed ground? Where is the same urgency and attention that politicians give to their press conferences and photo ops?

The fact is, if this were a new development project or a park in a more politically convenient location, it would have been fixed yesterday.

The State Needs to Make This Right—Now

It is time for the state of New Jersey to stop dishonoring the victims, their families, and the thousands of first responders who answered the call that day. This memorial is not just a tourist site—it is sacred ground. The state must immediately allocate the resources necessary to restore the memorial to its intended standard and ensure that its upkeep is a permanent priority, not an afterthought.

The phrase Never Forget should mean something more than words. Right now, New Jersey is sending the message that it already has.