SEE: $9M Restoration Of Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza Unveiled

BROOKLYN, NY — One of Brooklyn's most iconic monuments will get a nearly $9-million makeover, its first major restoration in 40 years, city officials announced.

The Prospect Park Alliance and Mayor Bill de Blasio administration unveiled plans Friday for a $8.9-million restoration of Grand Army Plaza, focusing on the deteriorated Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch that sits at its center.

It is the first time officials have taken on a full restoration of the 19th-century arch since a project in the late 1970s, which lasted into the mid-1990s.

“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," Prospect Park Alliance President Sue Donoghue said in the announcement. "The Alliance is incredibly excited to restore this space to its original grandeur."

The restoration will include replacing the arch roof, cleaning and repointing its structure, repairing its interior — including historic iron staircases that lead to its roof — and upgrading lighting that illuminates it at night. It will also give a facelift to the landscaped berms that frame the plaza, parts of the fountain and a chain-link fence around the berms.

The Prospect Park Alliance and city's Parks Department will lead the project, officials said.

Grand Army Plaza, a New York City and National Historic Landmark, was first constructed in 1867 as the grand entrance to Prospect Park. The arch was added about two decades later and dedicated to those who fought in the Civil War.

The fountain that now sits in the plaza was set up in the 1930s, replacing an original fountain.

The plaza has remained a prominent meeting place for the borough throughout the centuries, whether it be for protests or celebrations.

“Grand Army Plaza is an iconic Brooklyn destination, welcoming New Yorkers and visitors from across the world to the beautiful Prospect Park,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "The restoration of the Arch and surrounding landscape will ensure the Plaza is magnificent for generations to come."

The plans for restoration, first announced in 2018, included a radar and magnetic investigation by into the arch's structural and internal conditions, officials said. Check out a fly-through of the radar investigation by Atkinson-Noland & Associates here:

The project comes as the Prospect Park Alliance works on a larger upgrade of the northeast corner of Prospect Park, which most recently included a restoration of the historic Endale Arch.