c. Paul Martinka

Concert Grove Pavilion Restoration Gets Underway

January 13, 2020

Today, Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue, New York City Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo, Council Member Brad Lander, and community members gathered to kick off the highly anticipated restoration of the Concert Grove Pavilion in Prospect Park.

“The restoration of the Concert Grove Pavilion is a step forward towards a more equitable Brooklyn,” said New York City Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo. “We want to make sure that no borough or neighborhood is forgotten when it comes to the restoration of our parks.” 

“Generations of families, concert-goers, and picnickers made memories at the beautiful Concert Grove Pavilion,” said Council Member Brad Lander. “Thanks to the work of the Prospect Park Alliance, former Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the rest of the Brooklyn Delegation of the New York City Council, we are going to get it up and running again soon. I’m looking forward to the reopening of this historic landmark for future generations to enjoy.”

“This beautiful structure has been a beloved community landmark for generations, serving as the location for many family reunions, birthday parties and community celebrations for many years,” said Sue Donoghue, President of Prospect Park Alliance and Park Administrator. “The Concert Grove Pavilion deserves a thorough restoration to restore it to its original grandeur, and thanks to funding from the Brooklyn Delegation, we’re excited to be doing just that.”
Concert Grove Pavilion Rendering
Rendering by Prospect Park Alliance

Through $2 million in funding by former Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the Brooklyn Delegation of the New York City Council, the Alliance will restore this historic structure, which was closed to the public in 2014 due to structural damage, and return this treasured community resource to public use. The project is estimated to be completed by the end of 2020.

Designed by Calvert Vaux in 1874, the Concert Grove Pavilion features eight cast-iron columns supporting a decorative metal-and-wood roof with a stained-glass skylight. Typical of the day, the design borrows motifs from Hindu, Chinese, Moorish and Egyptian architecture. Situated in the Upper Concert Grove in the park’s southeast corner, adjacent to Lakeside, the pavilion was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1974, but the elaborate cast iron columns were salvaged and the pavilion was restored in 1988. 

In 2018, Prospect Park Alliance was honored with an Award for Excellence in Design by the New York City Public Design Commission for the restoration design of the Concert Grove Pavilion by the Alliance’s  Capital Projects team, which includes architects, landscape architects, construction supervisors and an archivist. The restoration will repair water damage, reconstruct missing historical details, and repaint the structure based on historic images, bringing new life to this charming and historic community gathering place.

For more information about capital improvements in Prospect Park, visit our Capital Projects Tracker.