The $8.9 million restoration of Grand Army Plaza, the majestic but aged entrance to Prospect Park, now has a design, the city and the Prospect Park Alliance announced on Friday. The project, announced in 2018, will include a thorough restoration of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch and surrounding berms.
“Grand Army Plaza is not only a Brooklyn treasure, but Prospect Park's grand entranceway, welcoming communities from both the east and west sides of the park,” Sue Donoghue, president of the Prospect Park Alliance, said in a statement, noting the Alliance is thrilled over restoring the space "to its original grandeur" through the work of their architects and landscape architects, which have previously "undertaken the restoration of many important park destinations, from the Carousel to the LeFrak Center at Lakeside, and this work is central to our mission in the park."
The arch, which was dedicated in 1892, is the main focus of the restoration work. According to the city and Prospect Park Alliance, it has deteriorated over the years. The work will include "replacing the arch's roof; cleaning and repointing the brick and stone structure; repairing interior elements, including historic iron staircases that lead up to the roof; and upgrading the exterior lighting with new high efficiency fixtures." A firm, Atkinson-Noland & Associates, conducted radar and magnetic investigations to find cracks in the structure.
A new lighting design, by Renfro Design Group, will highlight the arch and its statuary, using energy efficient technology. Around the arch, the berms will be re-landscaped, with native trees and shrubs replacing invasive plants. The chain link fence will also be removed and a low, decorative steel fence will be installed, plus the paving around the Bailey Fountain and John F. Kennedy Memorial will be replaced and be made accessible.
A rendering of the restored plaza
Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux planned Prospect Park and Grand Army Plaza in 1867, and the arch, designed by John H. Duncan, was added after the plaza was criticized for feeling like "Siberia." The Frederick MacMonnies sculptures atop the arch are, the alliance explains, a "quadriga of Columbia, who represents the United States, surrounded by two winged Victories who trumpet her arrival."
"Grand Army Plaza is an iconic Brooklyn destination, welcoming New Yorkers and visitors from across the world to the beautiful Prospect Park. The restoration of the Arch and surrounding landscape will ensure the Plaza is magnificent for generations to come," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. De Blasio and his family have lived in Park Slope for years, and even though he lives at Gracie Mansion, he's often in the neighborhood. Just a few weekend ago, he joined other New Yorkers at Grand Army Plaza to celebrate Joe Biden's presidential victory.
The restoration will start work late next year and will wrap up in 2022. But you can see the nearby Endale Arch, which was recently restored and is now glowing, any time.
