Update July 7, 2021: The monument honoring essential workers will no longer be built in Battery Park City. Following complaints that the project would reduce existing green space, and that the state failed to engage the community during planning, work has been halted. Discussions over a new location for the tribute will take place during a Manhattan Community Board 1 public hearing scheduled for Wednesday. The state still hopes to complete the monument by Labor Day.

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Last week, officials broke ground on a new Battery Park City monument dedicated to the essential workers who served the city during the coronavirus pandemic. The tribute, known as the “Circle of Heroes,” will feature a circle of 19 maple trees, each representing different groups that persevered as well as their contributions.

The 19 groups recognized include nurses, doctors, healthcare workers, transit workers, police officers, EMTs and paramedics, firefighters, correctional officers, store employees, members of the National Guard, government employees, building service workers, utility and communications workers, delivery drivers, teachers, sanitation workers, construction and manufacturing workers, food service workers, and hospitality workers.

At the center of the piece, an eternal flame will burn to honor those lives lost to Covid. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

“While we will never be able to fully repay our essential workers, we can honor and celebrate them with this monument that will stand forever as a tribute to all that they have done for New York in our greatest moment of need and beyond,” Cuomo said. “These heroes continue to inspire us every day and we are forever grateful for their service and sacrifice.”

An Essential Workers Monument Advisory Committee, created by Cuomo and consisting of members representing the groups listed above, collaborated on the design of the monument.Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

The monument is slated to open by Labor Day, and in addition to the memorial, the project will create an Essential Worker Park. The site was chosen for its accessibility, visibility, and popularity, said offiioals.