The members of the Forest Park community who died on 9-11, as well as the uniformed personnel from Queens who perished.

Purpose: The garden is dedicated to the members of the Forest Park community who died on 9-11, as well as the uniformed personnel from Queens who perished. It is both a memorial garden and a heroes mural, with four panels of the mural telling the story of the WTC through images of: lower Manhattan before 9-11 with the Twin Towers, firemen raising the flag, uniformed heroes, and lower Manhattan after 9-11 with the Tribute in Light. The garden is designed for year round color and interest, to be a quiet place for thought and relaxation. They will continue to add plantings, benches, and perhaps pave with dedicated bricks.
Reason site was selected: The site was selected for several reasons. The four cement walls leading up to the bandshell were the perfect size for murals and the two massive Oak trees symbolizing the Twin Towers were present. They began by planting daffodills to participate in the city-wide parks memorial planting, but then Leccesse had the idea to do more. His group, Forest Park Rangers, worked with park staff, the community, and volunteer groups to make the project happen. Also, the bandshell was newly renovated and there was a lot of construction debris on the site. Lecesse noted that, like the WTC site, their garden will grow from ruins, offering life and renewal.
Events planned for site: There is an October 5th planting (the last of this year) to prepare for the October 11th dedication of the site. Contact Lecesse at his email if you are interested in participating. After the dedication, the site will function primarily as a contemplative spot for quiet remembrance. The Forest Park Rangers and other children's and community groups will stay involved year round doing maintenance and planting projects.
Do you believe your memorial is a sacred place?: Peter Leccesse believes that people will treat it as a memorial. He has early indication of this respect for the space in that the mural has not been vandalized, even during the period of time when it was exposed and unmonitored.