Five years later, Miramar memorial honoring 9/11 victims mired in cost overruns
What was supposed to become a lasting tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has instead turned into a costly, years-long construction saga for the City of Miramar.
City records show the 9/11 & Veterans Memorial project at Miramar Regional Park has been plagued by escalating expenses, repeated change orders and a contractor dispute that ultimately forced the city to hire a new contractor.
The new proposal to complete the memorial is scheduled to go before city commissioners on Wednesday, May 20 — and it will cost taxpayers even more money.
Under the proposed resolution, the city would pay the new contractor, Sagaris Corporation of Coral Springs, nearly $600,000 to finish the monument after the original contractor, JZT Utilities Inc. of Pembroke Pines, failed to do so, Miramar officials said.
A call and email seeking comment from JZT Utilities from the Miramar News were not returned.
City Manager Roy Virgin is recommending that commissioners approve the new construction contract with Sagaris, totaling $596,700, to complete the monument, according to city budget documents.
Virgin is also recommending the contract be approved without a competitive bidding process.
At the same time, the city plans to recoup $309,680 from two surety companies tied to JZT Utilities’ performance bond. City officials say the recovered funds will offset half of the additional funds that commissioners will be asked to approve on Wednesday.
By the time the project is completed, the total cost is expected to approach $2 million — more than double the roughly $980,000 residents were told the memorial would cost in 2021.
Miramar officials first announced plans for the monument on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. The memorial centers on two steel beams recovered from the ruins of the World Trade Center.
The 8,200-pound steel columns, which are the centerpiece of the memorial, were secured by Miramar and local firefighters from the New York Port Authority.
It’s unclear what remains unfinished at the memorial, which has remained publicly visible during portions of the prolonged construction process.
The city attributed much of the rising cost to volatile construction markets, increased labor expenses and additional project demands.
However, the newest resolution in front of commissioners indicates the relationship between Miramar and JZT Utilities deteriorated to the point that the city pursued compensation through the contractor’s performance bond and decided to replace the company entirely.
Despite the delays, on Sept. 11, 2023, the city held a public unveiling ceremony at the park attended by city leaders, first responders and residents.
It’s unclear how long the new contractors will take to complete the work at the memorial monument.
Miramar is one of four Broward cities to build a full-scale 9/11 memorial.
This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 5:05 AM.
