Hidden just off Little Santa Monica Boulevard, at the corner of Rexford Drive beside the Beverly Hills Fire and Police Departments, stands a solemn yet beautiful space: the Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden. Two key figures behind its creation—architect Gidas Peteris and project manager Reggie Sully—shared how this landmark came to be and what it means.
A Vision Anchored by History
Peteris designed the garden around a striking centerpiece: a steel beam salvaged from the World Trade Center. “It gives us a little height and more to show—otherwise nobody would know what it was,” he explained. Around it are engraved plaques bearing more than 2,900 names of everyone who perished in the 9/11 attacks, not just first responders. The goal, Peteris said, was to create a focal point that made the loss tangible and unforgettable.
A Hidden Time Capsule
Beneath the foundation lies a sealed time capsule containing deeply personal artifacts: a piece of one of the hijacked airplanes and the ID badge of a pilot, donated through his brother during the memorial’s planning. There’s no set plan to open it; instead, it “memorializes those particular elements” and gives the site a deeper layer of meaning.
Building With Heart and Precision
For Reggie Sully, a veteran expediter with McCoy Construction, this was his first and only memorial project. Normally he manages high-end custom homes, but this garden called for extraordinary coordination: granite imported from China, engravers handling a four-step name etching process, concrete pours, stone masons, and weld inspections. “Timing was everything,” Sully said. Yet he felt as though “angels were looking down” as deadlines were met and materials arrived against the odds.
Community Spirit on Display
Both men highlighted the flood of volunteerism and generosity. Subcontractors and suppliers routinely waived fees. “It was a living tribute to everybody who wanted to participate,” Sully reflected. Peteris added that the board of directors, landscape designer Jim Ply, and local leader Reggie all donated time and services. Together, they turned a vision into reality without a traditional commercial budget.
More Than a Monument
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| B.H. Police Chief Mark Stainbrook addresses the public ceremony |
First Responders and Personal Meaning
First responders pass the memorial daily, and Sully believes they take special pride in it, much as the builders did. On September 11 ceremonies, he’s focused on making sure the steel is coated and the grounds immaculate. “I’m in work mode,” he said, “but I have my private moments with it.”
A Moment That Defined the Project
Sully recounted a moving committee meeting with Brad Berlingame, brother of pilot Chuck Berlingame, whose plane was hijacked on 9/11. Brad told how the FBI returned a singed prayer card from his brother’s wallet—one of the few personal effects recovered. That story, Sully said, deeply moved the entire team and underscored the memorial’s purpose.
Why It Matters
The Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden is more than a destination. It’s a testament to collective remembrance and civic pride, transforming a corner of Beverly Hills into sacred ground. Thanks to the vision of architect Gidas Peteris, the dedication of project manager Reggie Sully, and the generosity of countless contributors, the city now holds a permanent space for reflection—linking a global tragedy to local hearts.
