9/11 Museum Will Not Open by Sept. 2012 Due to Funding Dispute

The opening of the 9/11 memorial museum, scheduled for September 2012, will most likely be delayed over development disputes between the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

The museum board, associated with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, was reportedly accused by PANYNJ, which is under the jurisdiction of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, as WSJ pointed out, of owing the transportation agency $156 million.

The foundation reportedly denies owing the money, and claims that it is owed more than $100 million by the Port Authority on account of delays.

Port Authority stopped approving new contracts and extensions of existing contracts in September, in a development project that has already sucked in $11 million, according to WSJ. The stagnation is expected to ruin the plans for opening the building to the public in September 2012. The Christian Post was unable to independently confirm the report.

A memorial at Ground Zero site opened this September, on the 10th anniversary of the 2001 attacks. The museum was to open next year, on the 11th anniversary.

The two sides were reportedly negotiating a set of conditions for arbitrating the dispute outside of court.

There has been some disagreement over overruns at the museum for months already, the article claims, but the issues remained unresolved "in part because officials wanted to avoid a public fight before the 10th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks."

Works over the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, located at the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan, began in the spring of 2005, according to the 9/11 museum's website. The organization joined forces with PANYNJ in the summer of 2006. PANYNJ became the construction manager of the project.

Bloomberg became the Chair of the foundation’s board of directors in the beginning of Oct. 2006.