Plagued by design controversies, budget blowouts and construction delays, the first part of the World Trade Center (WTC) redevelopment – the National September 11 Memorial, known more simply as the 9/11 Memorial – opened to the public on September 12, 2011. The wait was worth it. Titled Reflecting Absence, its two massive reflecting pools are as much a symbol of hope and renewal as they are a tribute to the thousands who lost their lives to terrorism.