About The 9/11 Memorial at Spring Park

The Vision

The Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks left an indelible mark on Americans. That fateful day re-shaped us and had a lasting effect on every community across the nation.

Colorado Task Force 1- Urban Search and Rescue, a federal disaster response team, deployed 64 Coloradoans— including nine firefighters from the Poudre Fire Authority—to New York City to assist with urban search and recovery.

In 2015, a 3,059-pound steel I-beam pulled from the twisted wreckage of the World Trade Center was gifted to Poudre Fire Authority in honor of our local heroes who assisted with recovery at ground zero. Today, the beam resides in a temporary location at the PFA Training Center. It has long-been the desire to create a meaningful, permanent space in our community to display this artifact.

Now, The City of Fort Collins and PFA are collaborating to construct a 9/11 Memorial to give the beam a permanent, and accessible place of honor in our community. As the centerpiece of the memorial, the beam will symbolize individual and collective resilience in the wake of 9/11.


The 9/11 Memorial at Spring Park will offer residents and visitors a local destination to contemplate the magnitude of 9/11, reflect on our collective loss, and to honor fire fighters and first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice on that dark day. This effort will ensure these values are shared with generations to come.

The Journey of the Beam

9/11 Memorial Renderings

9/11 Memorial Design Features

  • The Beam

    Central to the memorial, the 3,059-pound steel I-beam rests; The steel is approximately the size of a person; a reminder of the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives in the tragedy, including first responders who died in their efforts to save others.

  • Paving Stones

    343 rectangular-shaped paving stones l create serpentine walks leading into the memorial. The stones honor the 343 firefighters who perished in the attacks. The angular, random configuration of the paving stones represents the chaos of the event.

  • Turf Steps

    Turf steps edged in steel provide seating areas along two sides of the memorial, creating a place for quiet contemplation.

  • Larch Tree

    The memorial is constructed around an existing Larch tree, a unique and rare tree planted at the request of a Fort Collins firefighter. The Larch tree is a deciduous conifer that loses its needles in autumn and regrows them in spring. This natural element is a symbol of new life and resilience.

Location

The 9/11 Memorial will be located adjacent to PFA’s Station #3, which abuts Spring Park in Midtown Fort Collins. Over 150,000 people utilize Spring Park, and the nearby Spring Creek Trail, each year. While this location will give the memorial tremendous visibility in our community; firefighters at Station #3 can serve as “guardians of the steel” ensuring the 9/11 Memorial remains a place of reverence.