October 27 will mark seven years since the horrific massacre of 11 innocent worshipers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood, and the site is still awaiting its transformation into a memorial for the victims and a center to learn from the tragedy that took place there. 

On Monday, the Tree of Life organization shares a new design and says it is finally ready to begin construction. 

"It's seven years, and I think all of us would love to see things move faster, that the building would have been built," chairman Michael Bernstein said. "In reality, what we're doing has never been done before."

After the groundbreaking 14 months ago, the Tree of Life organization took a step back and reevaluated the project in size and cost and its impact on the neighborhood. 

Scaling the original building plans back by 40 percent in both footprint and cost, it's now ready to proceed. New renderings show a smaller, single-story building with a welcoming atrium and more green space in the residential neighborhood. 

"We wanted to provide it as a park opportunity for people to meet, have coffee, sit outside on a nice day. So, it really allows this to be incorporated into the neighborhood," Bernstein said. 

The new plans call for refurbishing the sanctuary as a place for worship and a theatre. Outside, there will be a garden memorial telling the story of each individual victim, designed in collaboration with their families and architect Daniel Libeskind. 

The complex will hold a museum, an education center and an institute countering antisemitism but emphasizing how Pittsburgh came together in the wake of the tragedy. 

"What happened on that day, but most importantly, the response in the days following in Pittsburgh is the model for this country to heal itself," Bernstein said. 

The organization has raised $46 million of the total project cost of $60 million and says it's ready to move forward. Site work will start later this year, with construction expected to begin in earnest early next year. They'd like to be open to the congregation by this time in 2027, and open to the public afterwards.

"A dark history has happened there," Bernstein said. "And there will be a place for us to reflect on that, but this is a site for resilience and hope."

Acknowledging the delays, the organization says it wanted to get things right for generations to come, and in the end, the wait will be worth it.