Indio commissions recommend south end of Miles Avenue Park for new 9/11 and veterans memorials

*A rendering for the city’s 9/11 memorial, featuring a piece of steel from the Twin Towers at the center.*

The Indio Public Arts and Community Services commissions voted last week to recommend locating both a 9/11 memorial and a new veterans memorial at the south end of Miles Avenue Park near the parking lot and west of the Coachella Valley History Museum.

The joint special meeting on Aug. 12 brought together members of both commissions to discuss the placement and design elements for the two memorial projects. City Manager Bryan Montgomery presented location options within Miles Avenue Park, which the City Council had previously identified as the preferred site.

The 9/11 memorial will incorporate a steel beam artifact from the Twin Towers that the city has owned for several years. City staff said the memorial’s design has already been approved, but the location was changed from the original site at the northeast corner of Jackson Street and Dr. Carreon Boulevard within the city’s Public Safety Campus.

“The City Council identified Miles Avenue Park as a preferred location, but there are a number of options within the park,” Montgomery said during the meeting.

The 9/11 memorial project began in August 2023 when the council awarded a $130,000 contract to artist James Dinh to fabricate and install the memorial sculpture. The veterans memorial represents a separate project that the city wants to locate in proximity to the 9/11 memorial to create synergy between the two commemorative sites.

When considering locations, commissioners were careful to choose a location removed from the areas where children play so that the memorials could be more secluded and solemn.

For the veterans memorial, commissioners reviewed design examples from other cities and expressed preference for taller pillars featuring the seals of the five military branches. The commissioners emphasized the importance of good lighting, seating areas, and sufficient space for gatherings during events like Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

No design has been selected for the veterans memorial, as city staff wanted to determine the location before proceeding with design proposals. The budget and artist selection process for the veterans memorial will be determined later.

The memorials are planned for a highly visible area of Miles Avenue Park that offers ample parking and space for public gatherings. Montgomery noted that if the city council approves the recommendations, a groundbreaking ceremony for the 9/11 memorial could be held this year on September 11.

The council will discuss the memorial recommendations at its meeting on Wednesday. Councilmember Ben Guitron, who attended the commission meeting, praised the collaborative discussion and emphasized the importance of honoring veterans and the memory of 9/11.

“We have tons of veterans that are moving into our city,” Gutierrez said. “And when people come in, they want to know where we stand, how we respect that, and you’ve taken that step.”