ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A new sculpture will be unveiled in St. Petersburg at 6 p.m. on Saturday. The commemorative monument, located in the Warehouse Arts District, was organized and funded through "Rise Up St. Pete."
Delays in the project because of funding, which was all done privately, along with delays because of COVID-19, pushed the completion date of the project back.
The sculpture named "Rise" has a focal point of a large point of steel, which is one of the last pieces salvaged from the World Trade Center.
Behind the steel is a phoenix wing, symbolizing the way the country rose from the ashes following such terror.
The backdrop for the piece is a semi-circular concrete wall. It's meant to look like a sunrise, welcoming a new day.
"The phoenix is a symbol of rebirth, rising from the ashes, a very appropriate metaphor for the events of the day and how we've moved forward," sculptor Mark Aeling said.
Ron Schlosser, who is on the board of "Rise Up," was working four blocks away from the twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001.
"All of the people running, the ashes that continue to fall," Schlosser said.
"[For] weeks afterward. How difficult it was to breathe on that day. It's something you just can't describe."
This sculpture sits in from of MGA Sculpture Studio.