On June 5, NYC Parks and Prospect Park Alliance held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the restoration of the iconic Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch at Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn’s most significant monumental public artwork. Through $8.9 million in Mayoral funding, the Alliance restored the Arch and the surrounding plaza and landscaped berms.

It is the first significant restoration of this Brooklyn icon in nearly 50 years, and included replacing the roof and reinforcing the historic structure, as well as repointing its beautiful granite stonework to remove years of build-up, staining and spalling; repairing interior elements, including decorative bronze and cast-iron spiral staircases and entrance gates; and designing new, energy-efficient lighting to better showcase the historic elements of the arch and its statuary. In addition, during the Arch’s restoration, the NYC Parks Citywide Monuments Conservation Program cleaned and restored the Arch’s monumental statuary. The project recently received a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award from the Landmarks Conservancy, its highest honor for excellence in preservation.

NYC Parks Urban Park Rangers will be holding special tours of the Arch on Saturday, June 28. Register for the lottery: prospectpark.org/arch-tour.

“The Grand Army Plaza Arch stands not only as a gateway to Prospect Park, but as a powerful symbol of Brooklyn’s history, resilience, and pride,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “Our administration is dedicated to revitalizing public spaces like the Grand Army Plaza Arch and ensuring that New Yorkers continue to have access to green space throughout the city. This restoration demonstrates our city’s commitment to preserving the landmarks that shape our identity and inspire future generations. Today, we honor the past while building a better, more beautiful future for all New Yorkers.”

“For decades, the Grand Army Plaza Arch has welcomed visitors to Brooklyn’s Backyard while paying tribute to the New Yorkers who gave their lives in the Civil War. Now, thanks to our partnership with the Prospect Park Alliance, this Brooklyn icon has gotten a major facelift, restoring the beautiful statuary and artwork to its original glory,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa. “By caring for the monuments, statues, and artworks that enhance our public spaces, we’re not just preserving our history – we are communicating to New Yorkers that they deserve the best from their public realm. Parks is proud to maintain over 800 monuments citywide, and we look forward to further partnerships with both the public and private sectors to continue our work as stewards for the city’s outdoor museum.”

“The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch at Grand Army Plaza is a Brooklyn icon and now once again a shining jewel of the borough. We are so grateful to the Mayor’s Office for providing the funding so that the Alliance could restore the Arch to its original glory, and ensure that it serves as an essential civic space for our community for generations to come,” said Morgan Monaco, Prospect Park Alliance President and Park Administrator. “While triumphal arches typically recognize great military victories and generals, this arch is dedicated to the rank and file, honoring the young men of Brooklyn who lost their lives defending the union in the Civil War. This makes the arch a true monument of the people, welcoming all into Prospect Park and signifying that this is a place where all in our community are celebrated and seen.”

“The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch has long stood as one of Brooklyn’s most powerful, historical, and iconic symbols,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “This restoration not only brings new life to one of our borough’s most treasured monuments but also revitalizes the heart of Grand Army Plaza for generations of Brooklynites to come. Thanks to Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks for their hard work maintaining this historic landmark.”

“I’m thrilled that the restoration of the Grand Army Plaza Arch is now complete, and deeply grateful to the Prospect Park Alliance and the Parks Department for delivering this project on time for the surrounding community and the entire borough of Brooklyn,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “This arch is more than a landmark. It’s a gateway to Brooklyn’s Backyard and a powerful tribute to a turning point in American history, reflecting the values we continue to cherish today. I’m especially proud that this restoration was recognized with the Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award, the highest honor for preservation efforts from the New York Landmarks Conservancy. Brooklyn deserves nothing less.”

“The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch is an iconic portal to one of the city’s most beautiful parks — one that deserves to stand in its full glory. For many, this historic arch represents the heart and soul of Brooklyn past, present, and future,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson. “Thanks to the Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks, New Yorkers will visit the park and admire this landmark for generations to come.”

“The Arch is more than just the gateway to Grand Army Plaza and Prospect Park—it’s an iconic symbol of Brooklyn’s greatness and of what we can accomplish when we work together,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “Public works like the Arch are a part of our history and our collective heritage, and New Yorkers deserve beautiful, well-maintained public spaces that both honor that history and meet our needs today. This restoration does exactly that, and ensures the Arch will stand proudly as we walk together into the future. Thanks to the Parks Department, the Prospect Park Alliance for this crucial, powerful work.”

“It’s wonderful to see this restoration of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch at Grand Army Plaza. Thanks to the Prospect Park Alliance, NYC Parks, and all who collaborated for their work on this project,” said Assemblymember Robert Carroll. “The Arch is an iconic historic monument and maintaining and enhancing our public spaces is essential to what makes Brooklyn and New York City great.”

“The restoration of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch is a powerful tribute to Brooklyn’s enduring commitment to history, beauty, and public space. This investment ensures that one of our borough’s most iconic and cherished landmarks, a true staple of Brooklyn life, will continue to inspire generations to come. As a proud Brooklynite, I’m grateful to see this monument restored with such care and vision. I commend the Prospect Park Alliance, NYC Parks, and all partners involved for their dedication to preserving the legacy of Grand Army Plaza,” said Assemblymember Brian Cunningham.

“The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch is one of the most powerful symbols of Brooklyn’s commitment to freedom and racial equality,” said Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest. “I’m thankful to the NYC Parks Department and Prospect Park Alliance for their dedication in overseeing the restoration of this incredible monument and maintaining Grand Army Plaza as a vital community hub.”

Background on the Arch and Grand Army Plaza Restoration

Famed Prospect Park architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed Grand Army Plaza as the grand entrance to Prospect Park at the time of the park’s creation in 1867. In 1892, the plaza became the site of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch, dedicated to those who sacrificed their lives defending the Union during the Civil War. 

The arch was designed by American architect John H. Duncan, who also designed Grant’s Tomb. At the time it was considered Brooklyn’s Arc de Triomphe, one of the most famous monuments in Paris. The arch is adorned with three bronze statuary ensembles by the Brooklyn-born Beaux Arts sculptor Frederick William MacMonnies, who was also a highly accomplished painter and portraitist. The arch also includes statuary by artists Philip Martiny and William Rudolf O’Donovan, as well as equestrian bas-reliefs by famed American artist Thomas Eakins. It is one of New York City’s three major triumphal arches.

The arch was landmarked in 1975, when the structure was in such severe disrepair that the statue on top of the arch, the quadriga of Columbia, literally fell from her chariot. In 1976, the City undertook a comprehensive restoration. The fall of the quadriga became the symbol of the greater need for support for Prospect Park, which led to the founding of the group that would become Prospect Park Alliance. 

To restore the Arch, the Alliance’s in-house team of award-winning architects conducted significant research to uncover the historic design. Original blueprints were lost to time, requiring the Alliance to create a detailed scan of the inner structure using radar and magnetic investigation. Through these scans, and physical surveys and drawings from previous restorations, the Alliance embarked on a comprehensive restoration. This included reinforcing the historic structure with new steel beams and creating a new internal drainage system. After laboratory testing, the team determined the composition of the stonework mortar, Rosendale cement from the namesake town in upstate New York, and utilized this in the restoration. In addition, cracked and broken stonework was replaced to match the existing stone from a quarry near the original source in Maine. On the interior, bronze and cast-iron spiral staircases and entrance gates were carefully disassembled for restoration: original elements were meticulously cleaned, missing elements recreated, and then the renewed piece was reassembled on site. 

The Alliance also restored the landscaped berms that frame the plaza on its east, west and north sides. This work included removing invasive plants, trees and shrubs; and planting 194 native trees, as well as new plants and shrubs that provide interest and color throughout the seasons. The Alliance also replaced a chain link fence with low, decorative steel fencing. At the plaza, the Alliance restored the broken bluestone and granite paving around Bailey Fountain and the John F. Kennedy Memorial and added a new ADA-accessible curb cut at the north entrance to the plaza.

Learn more about Capital Projects + improvements underway in Prospect Park.

Two Prospect Park projects have been recognized for excellence in design by the New York City Public Design Commission: the restoration of the Vale in the park’s northeast corner, and the new monument to Shirley Chisholm coming to the Parkside and Ocean Avenue entrance.

“Prospect Park Alliance is honored to be recognized for the innovative, sustainable and people-centered design of the Vale, which is the result of significant community outreach. One of the park’s historic areas and a vital woodland habitat, we are committed to ensuring the Vale is a vibrant, welcoming green space for all,” says Prospect Park Alliance President, Morgan Monaco. “We are also thrilled to be recognized alongside our City partners for the Shirley Chisholm Monument. We are honored that Prospect Park will be home to this homage to Chisholm as an iconic Brooklyn trailblazer and will serve as a beacon to welcome our community into the park.”

Along with our partners at NYC Parks, Prospect Park Alliance was recognized for the restoration of the Vale in the park’s northeast corner. Prospect Park Alliance’s restoration of the Vale transforms one of the park’s historic yet little-known landscapes in its northeast corner into a lush and vibrant community destination. This area of the park had not seen capital improvement in over fifty years, and is a gateway to the park’s core woodlands, Brooklyn’s last remaining forest, and a front door to neighboring communities of Crown Heights, Flatbush and beyond.

The project includes the historic restoration of the Children’s Pool in the Lower Vale, which reintroduces architectural details while improving habitat for hundreds of species of birds that flock to this destination. The Upper Vale, a former rose garden with three disused concrete basins, is transformed into three distinct landscapes that were conceived through an intensive community engagement process: a pollinator garden and planted arbor; a children’s nature exploration area; and a lawn with natural seating elements and small building built into the terrain with composting restrooms and a sheltered gathering space. The restored Vale will serve as a welcoming front door to the community, an essential woodland habitat for hundreds of species of wildlife, and an intergenerational gathering space for all park lovers.

Through the community outreach and design process to gather public input for the landscape, the Alliance’s award-winning team of architects and landscape architects have designed a space for nature exploration, intergenerational gathering and quiet reflection.

The Shirley Chisholm Monument by Amanda Williams and Olalekan Jeyifous was also among the designs recognized with our partners at NYC Parks, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs and NYC Department of Transportation. As the first monument commissioned as part of She Built NYC, an initiative that seeks public nominations to honor the New York City women who have changed history, the Shirley Chisholm Monument coming to the Parkside and Ocean Avenue entrance to Prospect Park will pay homage to Brooklyn trailblazer and hero, Shirley Chisholm. Following a public design competition and planning process, the City approved plans for a 32-foot-tall monument to Chisholm, the first Black woman to serve in Congress, representing her childhood neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, and the first woman to seek the Democratic presidential nomination.

Artists Olalekan B. Jeyifous and Amanda Williams’ winning design encompasses a 32-foot-tall painted steel and bronze silhouette of Chisholm intertwined with the U.S. Capitol Dome, incorporating decorative metalwork of plants native to Barbados, where she lived as a child. The stonework surrounding the monument will include a Chisholm quote and an outline of the House of Representatives seating plan, with a bronze plaque representing Chisholm’s seat. The monument will be the first permanent public artwork in Brooklyn dedicated to a woman in history and the first to celebrate a woman and Black hero in Prospect Park.

Learn more about all capital improvements underway in Prospect Park.

Prospect Park Alliance has kicked off work on the Bailey Fountain Plaza and planted Berms around Grand Army Plaza, part of a larger project to restore the formal entrance to Prospect Park through $8.9 million in Mayoral funding.

The restoration of the Plaza, which houses the historic Bailey Fountain and John F. Kennedy Memorial, will include the replacement of uneven and worn bluestone and granite paving so that it is ADA accessible.

Work underway to make the Bailey Fountain Plaza ADA accessible. C. Prospect Park Alliance/Deidre Wilson

The work to restore the berms includes removing invasive plants and trees that are in poor condition and adding 194 native trees as well as shrubs and perennials that provide environmental benefits, resilience, and interest and color throughout the seasons. The Alliance will also replace the existing chain link fence with low, decorative steel fencing.

Work on the plaza and berms is slated for completion in fall 2023. The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Arch restoration is expected to take 12 months, and reopen to the public in spring 2024. During the period where the arch and plaza are simultaneously being restored (through Fall 2023), access will be curtailed at the arch, and the public is requested to utilize the crosswalks and pedestrian pathways at Plaza Streets East and West.

Learn more about Prospect Park Alliance’s Capital Projects.

On July 1, the City began a new budget year, including funding for NYC Parks and Brooklyn’s Backyard. Thanks to the advocacy of community members, the Play Fair Coalition and local elected officials including New York City Council Members Shahana Hanif, Crystal Hudson, Rita Joseph and Parks Chair Shekar Krishnan, the City has strengthened its commitment to its parks, and in the words of Mayor Eric Adams, made a “down payment” on his pledge for 1% of the City budget for parks.

The Play Fair campaign, which recognizes the importance of properly funding city parks, has worked with its coalition partners, including Prospect Park Alliance, to advocate for more funding for park operations, including maintenance workers, gardeners, Urban Park Rangers and the Parks Enforcement Patrol. In the current $101 billion budget, $624 million has been allocated for Parks, which is the largest parks budget to date.

In Prospect Park, the City and Prospect Park Alliance work hand in hand to care for Brooklyn’s Backyard, with the Alliance taking care of the “green and blue” landscapes (woodlands and waterways), and the City taking the lead in basic maintenance and trash management. In the busy summer months, the Alliance supplements the City’s trash management efforts via a partnership with the non-profit ACE New York, which provides a supplementary crew on peak weekdays and weekends.

In addition to operating support, the City budget also includes funding for capital improvements to our parks, recognizing the fact that parks need infrastructure upgrades in addition to basic maintenance to keep these heavily used public spaces safe and accessible for millions of New Yorkers each year.

Lakeshore Improvements: through the advocacy of our community (more than 1,100 community members shared letters of support) and Council Members Hanif, Hudson and Rita Joseph, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and the Brooklyn Delegation allocated $2 million for the restoration of Lakeshore, which will make environmental and accessibility improvements along the shoreline of the Prospect Park Lake. This support leveraged an additional $1 million from the Mayor, for a total of $3 million in funding toward our $20 million goal. This funding will enable us to create a master plan and execute a portion of the restoration, and we look forward to continuing to advocate for funding in future budget cycles to fund the full project.

Parade Ground Field 9: Through discretionary funding from Council Member Joseph, $800,000 was allocated for the restoration of Field 9, a heavily used turf field in the Parade Ground. This allocation, in addition to a $700,000 allocation by former Council Member Mathieu Eugene in a previous budget cycle, will enable us to kick off this $1.5 million project, and contribute greatly to the communities who rely on this field for recreation.

Parkside Entrance Pergola: Council Member Joseph also allocated $750,000 for the restoration of a historic pergola at the Parkside Entrance. This is the final piece in the restoration of this entrance, which will also be home to a monument of Shirley Chisholm.

Willink Comfort Station: Council Member Hudson allocated $500,000 toward the $4 million restoration of the Willink Comfort Station, a historic facility at the entrance to the park near the Carousel (where Flatbush meets Empire Boulevard) that has not been restored in over 50 years and needs a full restoration plus mechanical upgrade. We look forward to continuing to advocate for full funding of this project.

Esdale Bridge: Through District 39 Participatory Budgeting, Council Member Hanif allocated $500,000 for the restoration of this historic rustic bridge, which connects the Long Meadow to the Ravine (at the pathway that traverses the Long Meadow from the Picnic House).

Pathway Lighting (Center Drive to Long Meadow Ballfields): Through District 40 Participatory Budgeting, Council Member Joseph allocated $130,000 to add new lighting along a woodland pathway that connects Center Drive at the Nethermead to the Long Meadow Ballfields.

“We applaud our local elected officials, and our community, for their advocacy of Prospect Park,” said Prospect Park Alliance Interim President James Snow. “Prospect Park is truly Brooklyn’s Backyard, and welcomes millions of community members each year. Our park thrives through the public-private partnership between the non-profit Alliance and the City, and the partnership would not be possible without our community’s support.”

In Prospect Park, through the support of the community, and the advocacy of our local elected officials, Council Members Shahana Hanif, Crystal Hudson and Rita Joseph, the City allocated funding for a number of projects to improve the park.

“I’m proud to have worked alongside my Council colleagues to ensure that our Parks Department received the funding it deserved in this budget,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “Our open green spaces are essential to the health and wellbeing of New Yorkers and equitable investments ensure they are accessible to everyone. I’m happy to see that Prospect Park received ample funding for projects like improvements to the lakeshore through this budget and to complement hundreds of thousands of dollars in new funding going to the park through Participatory Budgeting both in mine and neighboring districts.”

“This year’s historic investments in our parks is a formal acknowledgment that green spaces are vital to the wellbeing of all New Yorkers,” said Council Member Crystal Hudson. “The funding we secured will go toward keeping our parks safe, clean and beautiful through much-needed infrastructure improvements, including in Brooklyn’s Backyard, Prospect Park––a space that not only offers all of us a place to play, exercise, and rest, but also acts as a critical hub for community building. These investments are crucial, and thanks to the advocacy of Prospect Park Alliance, we won them for our neighbors. I look forward to continuing to work alongside  Prospect Park Alliance and NYC Parks to maintain investments in Brooklyn’s Backyard and parks across the City.”

“Prospect Park is essential to the neighborhoods I serve both as a community gathering space  and a cherished green space that improves our health and well being,” said Council Member Rita Joseph. “I am committed to working with our partners at NYC Parks and Prospect Park Alliance to keep Prospect Park thriving, and investing in important projects that will benefit the park and our community.”

“Under the leadership of Speaker Adams and with my Council colleagues, we won a record budget for NYC Parks this year, including resources to maintain beautiful, restorative places like Prospect Park,” said Council Member Shekar Krishnan, Chair of the Committee on Parks and Recreation. “We achieved permanent funding to protect the jobs of hundreds of parks workers that keep our parks clean and safe. We fought to win funding for our natural areas, forestry, and Green Thumb gardens. This is just the beginning, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Mayor to achieve his promise of 1% or $1 billion for parks.”

Learn more about Capital Projects in Prospect Park on our Capital Projects Tracker.