Monument in Tampa at Ground Zero nearing completion

Pete Karamitsanis began rebuilding the Church in 2015.

TARPON SPRINGS, Florida – As the United States approaches the 20th anniversary of the most notorious terrorist attack on its soil, the changing world climate has once again turned an eye on the Taliban. That fateful day – September 11th, 2001 – is a day that most Americans will not and cannot forget.

Count Pete Karamitsanis as one of them.

Karamitsanis attended St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in historic Tarpon Springs for two decades while living in nearby Palm Harbor. Now in New York he is about to complete a project that is close to his heart.

“We are overseeing the rebuilding of St. Nicholas,” he said, referring to the now infamous church in Manhattan that was the only place of worship that was destroyed during those 9/11 attacks. On September 22nd, 2001 the church was completely demolished.

Karamitsanis is the director of InVision Advisors, a Tampa-based company helping rebuild this sacred space. Work on the project began in 2015.

“There is a whole generation of young people born since September 11th who have no idea what happened on September 11th,” he said. “The connection back to September 11th and the serenity that this church brings and hopefully will bring to many people who go there to remember their loved ones who have died, that was what we were looking for.”

COVID-19 delayed the project because it was difficult to get global materials for the church. Some of the marble comes from Greece. Other essentials come from Austria and New Zealand, among others.

“I think people just go speechless when they walk in,” said Karamitsanis, who now lives in Tampa. “It’s the opposite of emotions. It now belongs to the world. “

The new church memorial will be just one block away from the original church. Most of the workers helping to build the new St. Nicholas Church are not Greek Orthodox. Nevertheless, they give their heart to the project. This impresses Karamitsanis, who calls himself a lifelong Christian.

“They know they are working on a legacy project,” he said. “It’s not another construction project for them.”

The legacy that follows September 11th is marked by death and despair for many. Karamitsanis hopes the new church will change the outlook of that date to one of hope.

“(It) is not only a Greek Orthodox Church, but also a national shrine because it is located at Ground Zero,” he said with a smile.

The new hopeful opening date of Karamitsanis is Resurrection Sunday 2020.

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