WEST VILLAGE — The long-awaited New York City AIDS Memorial at St. Vincent's Triangle Park is expected to finally be unveiled in a dedication ceremony on World AIDS Day.
The official ceremony at Greenwich Avenue and West 12th Street begins at 11 a.m. on Dec. 1, but will be preceded by a reading of names at 10:30 a.m.
The memorial was established as part of a deal with the city that allowed the Rudin Family to develop the former St. Vincent's Hospital into luxury condos and townhouses.
As part of the agreement, a public park was constructed at the St. Vincent's Triangle, with the memorial as one of its main features. The park opened last summer.
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The memorial includes an installation by artist Jenny Holzer, with granite paving stones inscribed with excerpts from the Walt Whitman poem "Song of Myself."
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The ceremony will be emceed by Tony Award-winning actor Billy Porter, best known for the Broadway show "Kinky Boots," and poet Kamilah Aisha Moon will read excerpts from Whitman's poem.
The Gay Men's chorus will also perform and elected officials will be on hand to light candles.
The memorial dedication will be done by Paul Kelterborn and Christopher Tepper, two urban planners who fought for and co-founded the memorial, along with the memorial's board chair Keith Fox.
The event will take place outdoors in rain or shine, organizers said, but a live feed of it will be also streamed in a viewing room at the LGBT Center at 208 West 13th St.
