September 8, 2021
Albany, NY

Video, B-Roll, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Pays Respects at 9/11 Memorial & Museum

Announces New York Power Authority to Install New LED Lighting Inside the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, for Better Lighting Quality and Reduced Energy Usage and Costs

Governor Hochul: "The inspiration I take from this day simply tells me New Yorkers are gritty, they're scrappy, they're courageous, they're risk takers, and my God, they're true believers that the future can be better, and I'm going to draw on that spirit that is around us here in this sacred place from 20 years ago to propel us into the future and tell New Yorkers we've been down and out before, but we will be back and we're on the cusp of coming back as well."

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul paid respects at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in Manhattan, and announced the New York Power Authority is funding and implementing the installation of new LED lighting inside the space. The $1 million lighting improvement project includes the replacement of up to 3,000 LED lighting fixtures, improving lighting quality at the museum while reducing energy usage and costs of the LEED Gold certified building.

VIDEO of the Governor's remarks is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h264, mp4) format here.

B-ROLL is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h264, mp4) format here.

AUDIO of the Governor's remarks is available here.

PHOTOS are available here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us on a beautiful September morning not unlike a glorious September morning 20 years ago this week.

I wanted to come to this site for reflection, pay tribute to those lives we lost, to thank the first responders who survived and now addressing and dealing with illnesses, and all the people of New York who showed what true grit and resiliency is all about.

And the person I wanted to come here with is Mayor Mike Bloomberg because what he did to help this city when it was literally reduced to ashes - he gave us hope, he gave us courage and he also gave us a belief that we could have a better New York City as a result.

And on this very site, you see this tribute, the name names of individuals whose lives are lost, and even on the corner two brothers joined, one was NYPD, one was FDNY, and those may not know this, but the Mayor actually personally made sure that families were kept together on this memorial and made sure that such respect was paid to them.

And I want to make sure he gets the recognition for that from me personally, and for all new Yorkers and all those around the world who come to the site, that this was a labor of love from our Mayor and the people of the city and the Port Authority and the countless others who believe that we needed a symbol of New York and what it's all about to its core. That is the comeback story and that is the story that I also rely on 20 years later, as we reimagine a different future after being knocked to our knees yet again by a pandemic, COVID-19 and now the Delta variant.

The inspiration I take from this day simply tells me New Yorkers are gritty, they're scrappy, they're courageous, they're risk takers, and my God, they're true believers that the future can be better, and I'm going to draw on that spirit that is around us here in this sacred place from 20 years ago to propel us into the future and tell New Yorkers we've been down and out before, but we will be back and we're on the cusp of coming back as well.

I also wanted to announce that New York State Power Authority will be investing $1 dollars of NYPA funds to make sure that this remains lit, over 30,000 led lights. It may not seem like a big issue but if those lights go dark it'd be a very sad day. We're going to make sure that those go forth with a $1 million dollar announcement here today.

I want to thank Alice Greenwald for her passion for this location, for the memorial, but also the museum, and ensuring that not just those who experienced the terror of that day have a place to come and reflect and to pray, but also the millions of people who were not even born on that day, a generation of people who read about it in a history book or hear about it perhaps from a relative who experienced it in person, they need to come here and understand what is the true story of New Yorkers and how we came back after this nightmare that we all experienced 20 years ago.

So mayor Bloomberg, thank you. Thank you from all New Yorkers for the heart that you put into this memorial, for continued support for it, and all you did as our Mayor over many, many years of trying time in our state's history.

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