A ground-breaking ceremony was held at the site of the World Trade Center (WTC) on July 4, the Independence Day, to launch the construction of Freedom Tower and pay tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

A 20-ton granite slab with the inscription "To honor and remember those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2002 and as a tribute to the enduring spirit of freedom" was unveiled and put, as a cornerstone, into the foundation of what will be the Freedom Tower.

Addressing the ceremony, Pataki said: "We place here today the cornerstone, the foundation of a new tower, a new soaring tribute that would climb 1,776 feet high, marking the year of our nation's birth and proudly declaring our steadfast allegiance to freedom, a tower that would rise and reclaim our glorious skyline, replicate that great Lady Liberty, our majestic statue on the harbor and stand as beacon of freedom to all peoples of the world."

He said the Freedom Tower will "honor the heroes we lost on that tragic day and serve as a reminder: not only thousands of our friends and families die on this sacred ground, but they lived, worked, loved, and dreamed here, too."

In his speech, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said "By laying this magnificent cornerstone of hope, we are reaffirming life at Ground Zero. For the 10th times in history, the world's tallest building will rise in lower Manhattan."

He noted that the building is called Freedom Tower not because it stands 1,776 feet high, but because its soaring and striking design and its reaffirmation of enterprise and creativity on land that has known so much sorrow.

"We will send a message from this spot to people around the world that the cause of liberty can never be defeated, and to that cause we neutrally pledge our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor," he said.

Among the several hundred people at the ceremony were family members and relatives of the victims of the terrorist attack. Julian Davis, a 13-year-old boy who lost his father on Sept. 11 was asked to do a reading of Declaration of Independence at the ceremony.

The construction of the Freedom Tower is expected to complete in 2009, and trade center leaseholder Larry Silverstein has plans to build four more towers between 2009 and 2015.

However, not everyone is celebrating. The Coalition of Sept. 11 Families said developers eager to start work on the WTC memorial are jumping the gun and that Sunday's ceremony is coming too soon.

The Coalition said issues like proper building and fire codes, skyscraper safety and air quality standards have all been put on the back burner by developers.

Some critics have also questioned whether all five towers of the Trade Center will be built, especially after a jury verdict this year cut the insurance proceeds Silverstein is seeking to pay for development from a possible US$7 billion  to a maximum of US$4.5 billion .

(Xinhua News Agency July 5, 2004)