The construction crew working to finish the memorial to those who died in the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 on November 12, 2001 is working full-tilt to finish the project by this year's anniversary date, when the Beach 116 site is widely expected to host the annual memorial ceremonies. The memorial construction included a complete makeover for the comfort stations under the boardwalk on the southern end of the shopping street.

The names of all 265 victims of the crash, 260 on the plane and five on the ground, are now etched into the memorial wall that make up the focus of the site. All that needs to be completed is the landscaping around the memorial itself. The mayor is expected to announce the plans for this year's memorial service sometime next week.