Author: Cornershop

c. Jordan Rathkopf

Grand Plans for a Grand Plaza

November 20, 2020

Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, and Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue have unveiled the design plans for the nearly $9 million restoration of Grand Army Plaza, a New York City and National Historic Landmark, including the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch and the landscaped berms that frame the plaza. Prospect Park Alliance, the non-profit that operates Prospect Park in partnership with NYC Parks, is undertaking the project, which builds on their work over 30 years to restore Prospect Park and its historic landscapes. 
 
“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. 

“By restoring the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch and surrounding area, this project will enhance Grand Army Plaza and help preserve the historic entryway to Prospect Park,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP. “We are grateful to Mayor de Blasio and the Prospect Park Alliance for recognizing the need to invest in this beloved Brooklyn landmark.”
 
“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. The Alliance is incredibly excited to restore this space to its original grandeur,” said Sue Donoghue, President, Prospect Park Alliance. “Our award-winning team of architects and landscape architects has 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.”

Design Plans

The restoration plan focuses on the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch, which has deteriorated over time: 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. 

In researching the restoration design, Prospect Park Alliance worked with Atkinson-Noland & Associates to conduct radar and magnetic investigations of the arch’s structure and internal conditions, and Karcher Company to test the cleaning and conservation processes. In addition, working with Renfro Design Group, Prospect Park Alliance developed a lighting design scheme that showcases the historic elements of the arch and its statuary while making the lighting more environmentally friendly by utilizing energy efficient technology.

The project also includes restoring elements of the surrounding plaza and landscaped berms that frame the plaza on its east, west and north sides. This includes removing invasive vines, shrubs and trees that are in poor condition and planting mostly native trees and shrubs that provide interest and color throughout the seasons. The Alliance will also replace the existing chain link fence with low, decorative steel fencing, and restore the broken bluestone and granite paving around Bailey Fountain and the John F. Kennedy Memorial so that it is accessible.
 
Background on the Project
 
Park creators Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed Grand Army Plaza as the grand formal entrance of Prospect Park at the time of its construction in 1867. In 1889, the plaza became the site of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch, which was dedicated in 1892 to commemorate those who fought with the Union troops during the Civil War. The arch was designed by John H. Duncan with sculptures by Frederick MacMonnies, two preeminent figures of their times. On top of the arch is a quadriga of Columbia, who represents the United States, surrounded by two winged Victories who trumpet her arrival. Smaller sculptures mounted on pedestals depict soldiers and sailors. 

In the early 1900s, the plaza was redesigned when the subway was constructed below, but retained its original form and layout. In the 1930s, the plaza’s fountain was replaced by Bailey Fountain, designed by architect Egerton Swartout and featuring bronze sculptures by Eugene Savage. Paving around the fountain was changed from asphalt hex block to bluestone borders in ashlar pattern and granite block in fan pattern, bound by low granite walls and steps. In addition, a chain link fence was erected around the berms, which broke up their gentle contours and diminished their intended rural effect. 

The Arch was landmarked in 1975, when the structure was in severe disrepair, and in 1976 Columbia literally fell from her chariot. The City undertook a restoration of the Arch in 1977-79, with subsequent work in 1989 and the mid-1990s. In 1999, the Arch’s bronze statuary groupings were restored by the NYC Parks Monuments Conservation Program. 

In addition to the restoration of Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park Alliance also is restoring the adjacent northeast corner of Prospect Park. This includes the restoration of the Flatbush Avenue perimeter of the park, through funding from Borough President Eric Adams and New York City Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo; the construction of two new park entrances on Flatbush Avenue, the first new entrances to the park since the 1940s, through funding from NYC Parks through its Parks without Borders program; and is also restoring northeast corner pathways, benches and lighting through $2 million in funding from the mayor. In recent weeks, the Alliance reopened Endale Arch in the park’s northeast corner after a $500,000 restoration.

The project is slated to begin construction in late 2021 or early 2022, and open to the public in 2023. Visit the Prospect Park Alliance Capital Project Tracker for information on the full range of projects underway in Prospect Park.

c. Martin Seck

Giving Thanks For Our Trees

This Thanksgiving season, Prospect Park Alliance gives thanks for Prospect Park’s 30,000 trees, and the community members who funded a record season of commemorative tree plantings: nearly 75 trees, representing nearly 20 native species and raising $150,000 for sustaining Prospect Park.

“Brooklyn’s Backyard was hit hard this year by Tropical Storm Isaias, which felled over 60 trees and left 54 more with severe damage,” said Sue Donoghue, President, Prospect Park Alliance. “Our commemorative tree program is an important way that the community gives back to our park, and many of these trees were planted in areas impacted by the storm.” 

trees DEC planting 11.24.20.jpg
Prospect Park Alliance Vice President of Capital and Landscape Management Christian Zimmerman (center right) joins Alliance horticulturalists to plant a commemorative tree near the Parkside + Ocean Avenue entrance, next to a tree felled by Hurricane Isaias.

And now Prospect Park Alliance knows just how vital these trees are to Brooklyn’s quality of life. A generous grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation provided the Alliance with the opportunity to survey roughly half the park’s 30,000 trees to shed light on their significant impact on Brooklyn’s quality of life, and to create a forest management plan. These efforts were funded by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, and administered by the Urban and Community Forestry Program in the Department of Environmental Conservation Division of Lands and Forests.  

“Supported by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s record $300 million sustained investments in the Environmental Protection Fund, as well as partnerships with communities, environmental groups, and civic organizations, New York has significantly improved the health of community forests,” said Robert Davies, Director, Division of Lands and Forests, and State Forester, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Through the collected data, and using the U.S. Forest Service’s iTree ECO Report, the Alliance discovered that the 15,698 trees surveyed in Prospect Park trees provide more than $2 million in annual environmental benefits: removing 21,000 pounds of pollutants and 3,000 tons of greenhouse gases from the air, and saving 1,300 megawatt hours of energy consumption and 22 million gallons of stormwater runoff from the city sewer system. 

Prospect Park Alliance conducts commemorative tree plantings each fall and spring. Through this program, roughly 1,100 trees have been planted over the past 30 years. Learn more about our commemorative tree program. 

Want to learn more about Prospect Park’s surveyed trees and their benefit to our community? View the Prospect Park TreeKeeper Interactive Map.

c. Paul Martinka

Endale Arch Restored to Original Splendor

November 13, 2020

Prospect Park Alliance has completed the restoration of Endale Arch and reopened this treasure to the public.

One of the first architectural elements constructed in Prospect Park in the 1860s, the arch was envisioned by park creators Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as a transporting entrance to the majestic Long Meadow from Grand Army Plaza. The $500,000 project was generously funded by the Tiger Baron Foundation, with additional support from Council Member Brad Lander through District 39 participatory budgeting.

“Thanks to this comprehensive restoration, the historic Endale Arch will welcome visitors to Prospect Park’s Long Meadow for generations to come,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP. “We are grateful to the Tiger Baron Foundation and Council Member Lander for their support, and we commend the Prospect Park Alliance for their remarkable work on this project.”

“I’m thrilled that our community chose through participatory budgeting to support the restoration of Endale Arch, a historic piece of Brooklyn’s backyard,” said Council Member Brad Lander. “I thank the Tiger Baron Foundation for their support of this project. At a time when New Yorkers are appreciating their parks more than ever, it is wonderful to have an opportunity to learn about and enjoy the contributions of the past to the spaces we love so dearly today.”

“We are so thankful to the Tiger Baron Foundation and Council Member Brad Lander for supporting this work, and enabling us to undertake a restoration worthy of Prospect Park’s creators,” said Sue Donoghue, President of Prospect Park Alliance. “Our Design + Construction team has outdone themselves on this project, and we are thrilled to share this beautifully restored  archway with our community.”

The Endale Arch restoration comprises years of research, dedicated work and a number of exciting discoveries as layers of time were stripped back. The phased restoration kicked off in 2015 with the adjacent landscape. The Alliance stabilized the stone retaining walls and surrounding hillsides; removed invasive plants; added an array of native plantings; and made improvements to the arch and pathway to address drainage issues and reduce potential flooding and water damage.

In the final phase, the Alliance worked with Barnhart Restoration to restore the interior of the arch and the exterior stonework. In the course of this phase, layers of paint and grit were peeled back, revealing handsome original details that the design team was surprised and delighted to find. A motif of alternating yellow Berea sandstone and New Jersey brownstone, and white pine and black walnut wood paneling, which was hidden for nearly a century has been restored. The team opted to leave one brick and granite cross vault exposed to highlight the detailed craftsmanship put in place over 150 years ago.

Visitors can now enjoy the arch as it would have appeared to the park’s earliest visitors, all with the benefit of new LED lighting that illuminates the interior of the arch. The result is a breathtaking window into Prospect Park’s historic past. Learn more about the restoration of Endale Arch.

The restoration of Endale Arch is part of a larger effort by Prospect Park Alliance to improve the northeast corner of the park. This work also includes the restorations of the Vale Woodlands, through a grant from New York State Parks; the Grand Army Plaza berms and Soldiers and Sailors Arch, funded by Mayor Bill de Blasio; the Flatbush Avenue perimeter, funded by Borough President Eric L. Adams and Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo; two new entrances along Flatbush Avenue, the first in the park since the 1940s, funded by Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Parks without Borders initiative; and pathway and lighting improvements in the Vale, funded by Mayor Bill de Blasio. Learn more about these projects on the Alliance’s Capital Projects Tracker,

c. Paul Martinka

Northeast Path Work Now Underway

November 10, 2020

Through $2 million in funding by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Prospect Park Alliance is restoring pedestrian paths in the northeast corner of Prospect Park to make the area more accessible to the communities who use the park. This project includes the reconstruction of approximately 1,200 linear feet of paths, new park benches and new lighting, much-needed tree care and the replacement of the play sand in the Zucker Natural Exploration Area. The work is underway now and will be complete in the summer of 2021.

For the duration of the work, please be aware that portions of the paths and adjoining areas will be closed off for park-goers safety—as a result visitors may need to plan alternative routes in the area. We appreciate your patience and flexibility as we complete this essential work.

Paths in the Northeast.jpg
Map of area indicating paths that will receive new lighting (orange), new sand (blue dots), and new paving (solid blue). c. Prospect Park Alliance

This work is part of a larger effort by Prospect Park Alliance to improve the northeast corner of the park. The reimagining of this area also includes the historic restoration of the Endale Arch, funded by the Tiger Baron Foundation with additional support from Council Member Brad Lander through District 39 participatory budgeting; restorations of the Vale Woodlands through a grant from New York State Parks; the Grand Army Plaza berms and Soldiers and Sailors Arch, funded by Mayor Bill de Blasio; the Flatbush Avenue perimeter, funded by Borough President Eric L. Adams and Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo; two new entrances along Flatbush Avenue, the first in the park since the 1940s, funded by Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Parks without Borders initiative; and pathway and lighting improvements in the Vale, funded by Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Learn more about this and other projects on the Alliance’s Capital Projects Tracker: prospectpark.org/tracker. 

c. Elizabeth Keegin Colley

Virtual Program: 2020 Alliance Gala

October 29, 2020

On October 29, 2020, Prospect Park Alliance hosted it’s annual Gala, virtually! This celebration featured Alliance Board Chair Iris Weinshall, Jimmy Kimmel, Angélique Kidjo, and a musical performance from Alegba and Friends. The program recognized the volunteers and supporters who have helped care for Brooklyn’s most treasured green space during a difficult year.

The Gala helped raise funds for Prospect Park Alliance, which has continued to operate during a pandemic and has ensured that this essential green space is open and accessible to our whole community. Donate to Prospect Park Alliance.

 

YouTube video

Martin Seck

Virtual Program: Prospect Park Waterways

October 18, 2020

Prospect Park Alliance in partnership with Turnstile Tours present a virtual exploration of Prospect Park’s waterways. In this virtual tour, we look closely at the ingenious drainage system and chain of manmade streams and ponds that terminate in Brooklyn’s largest lake, follow the park’s scenic watercourse, and go inside one of the most unique features of the park: the 1869 Wellhouse, the park’s last remaining building by park designer Calvert Vaux, which once housed the machinery that fueled the watercourse and was recently restored by the Prospect Park Alliance and converted into the first composting restrooms in a NYC park.

Learn more about the Prospect Park Wellhouse. 

YouTube video

 
c. Paul Martinka

Play Ball! Long Meadow Ball Fields Restored

October 9, 2020

Prospect Park Alliance has reopened Long Meadow Ball Fields 4 + 5 following a $1.25 million restoration funded by New York City Council Member Brad Lander. The project is part of a larger, phased restoration of the Long Meadow Ball Fields, with Fields 2 + 3 next in the pipeline (the remaining fields, 1, 6 + 7, opened over the past several years).

“I’m so glad that the restoration of the Long Meadow Ball Fields 4 + 5 is complete in time for ball players to enjoy them this fall,” said New York City Council Member Brad Lander. “Our parks and play areas are a critical resource, especially during this pandemic, to keep our communities happy, healthy, and connected.”

“We are so grateful to Council Member Brad Lander and his constituents for supporting this project,” said Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue. “These fields are a destination for thousands of Brooklynites each season for baseball, softball, soccer and flag football. Particularly during these times, we are committed to providing welcoming and accessible green space for our community.”

The project included reseeding the turf and new clay infields, as well as improved drainage to keep the fields in good playing condition; new pathways and benches were installed, as well as dedicated clay storage bins and shaded dugouts.

Learn more about Prospect Park Alliance capital projects on our Capital Project Tracker.

Major Art Installation Celebrates Brooklyn Community

October 5, 2020

BRIC and Prospect Park Alliance, in partnership with NYC Parks, have commissioned the collaborative duo Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine to create a public art project at the Prospect Park Bandshell, on view from October 3, 2020 through June 2021. Titled, Inspired By “What Is Left,” the text-based installation quotes the late poet Lucille Clifton and offers the Brooklyn community a message of resilience and perseverance. 

With this new public art installation, BRIC and Prospect Park Alliance present a powerful message for the Brooklyn community. It is the first major public art project in Prospect Park since the pandemic, and one of the first installations at the Bandshell in its history.

“This public art work provides a message of strength and joy, celebrating and uniting our community during these difficult times,” states BRIC’s President, Kristina Newman-Scott. “We are delighted to continue our important partnership with the Prospect Park Alliance through this meaningful activation of the Bandshell inspired by a local and engaged arts collective.”

“In the past six months, Prospect Park has played an essential role in our community, and we could not be more delighted than to welcome the Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine to Brooklyn’s Backyard,” said Sue Donoghue, President, Prospect Park Alliance. “We are pleased to be able to extend this new collaboration to our partnership with BRIC, and to celebrate and illuminate the resilience of our community through public art.” 

Inspired By “What Is Left” is an extension of Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine’s ongoing project in Crown Heights which reimagines unoccupied public spaces with new alternative purposes. Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine was created in 2010 by artists Oasa DuVerney and Mildred Beltre. Their monumentally-scaled text-based fence weavings, inspired by the neon colors of protest posters, publicly address the current moment by often unheard voices in Black Radical Thought and take a barrier meant to separate an immigrant community and envision it as a space for community knowledge and uplift. The artwork aims to remind viewers of the struggles that have been faced and the work yet to be done for racial equity. It references lines from a poem by Lucille Clifton (1936-2010), a prolific poet and two time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Clifton wrote about the Black experience and endurance in the face of adversity, using substantive yet pared down lines.

“won’t you celebrate with me” by Lucille Clifton  
won’t you celebrate with me
what i have shaped into
a kind of life? i had no model.
born in babylon
both nonwhite and woman
what did i see to be except myself?
i made it up
here on this bridge between
starshine and clay,
my one hand holding tight
my other hand; come celebrate
with me that everyday
something has tried to kill me
and has failed.

Source: Book of Light (Copper Canyon Press, 1993)

Prospect Park has always played an important role as a gathering space for the melting pot of people and cultures that make Brooklyn unique. This has come even more to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, where it has served as the backdrop for moments of protest and joy, celebration and memorialization, making it the perfect location for this installation.  

For over 40 years, BRIC has presented its signature summer concert series, the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, at the Prospect Park Bandshell. From its very first performance in summer of 1979, the mission of the Festival has been to bring Brooklyn together. These free experiences at the Bandshell enhance the quality of life and understanding of the world by centralizing diverse voices and illuminating the vibrant cultures that make Brooklyn unique. 

Virtual Program: Tackling Climate Change in Prospect Park

September 29, 2020

In this Climate Week NYC virtual program, learn how climate change has affected Prospect Park and other natural areas in New York City. Hear about the projections for the future, including how Prospect Park Alliance and the Natural Areas Conservancy is using the best available science to mitigate the negative effects of climate change and preserve our urban forests. Hosted by Turnstile Tours and featuring guests Howard Goldstein, Prospect Park Alliance forest ecologist, and Natural Areas Conservancy’s Justin Bowers, program manager for Natural Areas Restoration and the creator of Forest Identification and Restoration Selection Tool (FIRST), which helps forest restoration practitioners manage for and adapt to geographic and climate conditions.

Learn more about how Prospect Park Alliance is sustaining the environment. 

YouTube video

c. Fiora Watts

Science Friday Visits the Park

September 15, 2020

Prospect Park Alliance recently had a visit from the folks at NPR Science Friday! Reporter Clarisa Diaz spoke with Prospect Park Alliance’s Director of Landscape Management, John Jordan, about Prospect Park, home to Brooklyn’s last remaining forest. Jordan spoke about the Alliance’s founding mission to sustain the park’s natural areas, our multi-decade effort to restore our 250 acres of woodlands, and how climate change is affecting our woodland restoration efforts. Give it a listen below, and read  an accompanying article about equity and natural areas, and how the heat island affect impacts communities most in need on the Science Friday website.