New York City ? Some relatives of Sept. 11 victims are wondering whether they’ll live to see the World Trade Center memorial after learning Tuesday that the tribute won’t open until a decade after the attack.

Citing construction delays, the Port Authority announced that the Reflecting Absence memorial would open in 2011, two years later than expected.

The Port Authority Tuesday also announced a deal to create almost a half million square feet of retail space at the site. The timing of both announcements troubled some relatives.

“The priority of the Port Authority is to make money, and I think they’re able to build their shopping mall over the remnants of the dead – they’re OK to do that but not build a memorial,” said Sally Regenhard, who lost her firefighter son, Christian Regenhard.

It will be another year at least before pedestrians can easily see progress. The steel of the memorial’s twin reflecting pools will be built to street level in 2009. The entire memorial complex, which includes an underground museum, is now expected to be finished in 2011.