By DAN NEPHIN, Associated Press Writer Dan Nephin, Associated Press Writer – 45 mins ago
PITTSBURGH – The owner of the land in western Pennsylvania where Flight 93 crashed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks reached an agreement Friday to sell the parcel, clearing the way for the development of a memorial.
The National Park Service, Families of Flight 93 and land owner Svonavec, Inc. announced the deal for the 274-acres in Shanksville, Pa., in a joint statement.
"It ends what has been a three-year process of trying to get those lands under federal ownership to protect the remains of the passengers and crew," said Patrick White, vice president of the Families of Flight 93. "That's the key. That's the essential, that's the most ... outstanding aspect of it."
The agreement gives the National Park Service access to the land, including the site where the plan crashed, and allows for the planning and construction of the memorial.
The three also agreed to let a court determine the value of the land. White and Patrick Svonavec, the attorney for Mike Svonavec, the treasurer of the company, characterized the deal as an amicable condemnation.
"Our concern has always been to protect the lands and have the park service own them. That will occur very quickly," White said. "We're one huge step closer to actually having a memorial to dedicate on Sept. 11, 2011."
A suit will be filed in federal court, possibly within a couple weeks.
Michael Svonavec, president and treasurer of Svonavec, Inc., said he was glad to have a deal in place.
"The agreement allows the parties to cooperatively move forward on a methodology by which the evaluation will be determined," he said in a statement.
Negotiations to buy the property had been contentious, and Families of Flight 93 last month asked the Bush Administration to seize the land after negotiations stalled.
Mike Svonavec had been accused of refusing to sell for a reasonable amount, but he has repeatedly denied looking for a windfall.
"We were not forced into this," he said. "This is the methodology I think is the best for all concerned."
White characterized the property as the "soul" of the memorial. The park service is negotiating with about a half-dozen other property owners.
Under the agreement, Svonavec will donate six acres that encompasses the actual impact site. He has said he did not want any money for that parcel.
"I feel a sense of relief and accomplishment, a sense of gratitude for those who've participated to get us here," White said. "It's a real watershed day."
The planned memorial is to cover more than 2,200 acres, and the families had said ground had to be broken early this year in order for a memorial to be build for the 10th anniversary of the crash in 2011.
Flight 93 was en route from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco on Sept. 11, 2001, when it was diverted by hijackers. The official 9/11 Commission report said the hijackers crashed the plane as passengers tried to wrest control of the cockpit.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090117/...ght93_memorial
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