The Katrina National Memorial Park
The Katrina National Memorial Park will be built in New Orleans, Louisiana to honor the victims and evacuees from Katrina. The park will sit on approximately twenty-five acres of green space, hopefully donated by the city of New Orleans or the State of Louisiana.
The rear of the park will present a nine-foot half-moon shaped granite wall. The names of each victim from Katrina (4,500-5,000 New Orleanians) will be etched on the wall and filled with gold leaf. New Orleans, the United States of America and the International community cannot afford to forget those loved ones we lost.
The front of the memorial will have three steps leading to a 90-foot x 30-foot granite pool shaped like a woman’s womb. The center of the pool will contain a 29-inch eternal flame that will rise about the waterline.
Fountains will circle the perimeter of the pool at a three-foot distance from each other and will squirt water in a vertical position.
The womb pool will be inlaid with a mosaic depicting the City of New Orleans underwater. Surrounding the park will also be nine-foot granite wall sections (9×9 feet) interspersed with memorial gardens. Each wall section will be inlaid with different photographs of scenes from the disaster in mosaic. Outside the fence will be nine steps leading down to the Memorial Walk Park, which is an additional park wrapping around the upper memorial.
This section of the park will have benches covered in mosaic (hopefully donated by people who took video/photographs during the hurricane), sculptures, and a stream throughout. The auditorium will be located here for visitors to get information about Katrina and view videos, books, paintings, and other displays.
This project will be a national tourist attraction, teaching, and modeling “Green” principles to visitors. It will provide employment at all economic levels of the community, from vendors and teachers to administrators and scientists.
Cooperative education with area schools will develop students’ art, design, and construction skills. A full range of programs will draw diverse crowds to participate in ongoing environmental research. Visitors will be able to honor victims of past weather disasters. An annual Energy Fair and Energy Camp will educate participants on global climate issues and conservation thinking.
