Soldiers Arch to Get Make-Over

The Grand Army Plaza Coalition, along with the Prospect Park Alliance, is raising money to restore Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch in the park. In fact, they are raising $1.35 million for the job.

Even though more than a million dollars seems like more than enough to do the trick, the Alliance believes it will take at least $2 million. Most of the damage comes from leaks in the roof and electrical work.

At one time, the Arch welcomed visitors with art exhibits and other events and the city wants to restore that function. No restorations have been done since 2000 and at that time, only a few exterior sculptures were restored. The interior of the Arch has been closed to the public for several years.

This isn't the first time the Arch has been let go. In 1976 the Arch was in such disarray that some of the statues on top fell over. At the time, Mayor Ed Koch began work to restore the entire plaza. It would be more than four years before that goal would be achieved.

Over the years the Prospect Park Alliance has been entrusted to make sure that the plaza does not fall into such serious disrepair. The Alliance has been successful in the restoration and protection of monuments such as the Bailey Fountain and the JFK monument.

Source - Prospect Heights Patch