Five years after a building being demolished collapsed onto a Center City Philadelphia thrift store, killing six and injuring 13 others, victims' families and city officials paused Tuesday to dedicate a memorial park at the site.
Mayor Jim Kenney and other helped to dedicate the June 5th Memorial Park at 22nd and Market streets.
Anne Bryan, Roseline Conteh, Bobor Davis, Kimberly Finnegan, Juanita Harmon and Mary Simpson died when a building being demolished next door collapsed onto the open Salvation Army store on June 5, 2013.
Artist Barbara Fox, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, designed the memorial. The park, which was designed by a team of volunteers and professionals, includes stone benches, trees and ornamental grasses.
Three tall granite stones with two windows in each — one to represent each of the victims — make up the memorial. The victims' names are etched into the granite.
"This memorial park will provide a contemplative respite for visitors while preserving the memory of those lost - and serve as a constant reminder that construction projects must be done safely," the website for the memorial says.
The Salvation Army donated the land to the city and private donors and the city contributed the rest of the $1.3 million cost.
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A contractor and subcontractor are serving years behind bars for their roles in the deadly collapse. Contractor Griffin Campbell recently reiterated that he maintains his innocence.
