Memorial Day ceremony at the Brooklyn War Memorial in Cadman Plaza.
In Brooklyn’s Cadman Plaza stand two imposing figures, Victory and Family, 24-foot-tall limestone sculptures flanking a memorial honoring the Brooklynites who lost their lives during the Second World War. Dedicated in 1951, the memorial is one of five WWII tributes that Parks Commissioner Robert Moses conceived for each of the city’s boroughs—but the only one that was built.
Unfortunately, the grand monument has been closed to the public for the past 25 years (initially due to lack of compliance with ADA access requirements), and has fallen into disrepair. Inside the memorial, out of sight from public view, are panels with more than 11,500 bronze-lettered names of the fallen Brooklyn service members. The memorial needs exterior stonework restoration; a new roof; electrical, plumbing & mechanical upgrades, including an elevator; as well as ADA-compliant bathrooms and ramps.
Thankfully, the memorial will finally receive the respect it deserves. The Cadman Plaza Conservancy, led by the tireless efforts of its president Toba Potosky, has joined forces with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and the Brooklyn Borough President’s office to undertake a major restoration, upgrade and adaptive re-use program. The plan for the memorial includes a self-sustaining community space, veterans outreach, and training center.
We are proud to announce that the conservancy has selected RAND to conduct a full-scale physical condition survey of the memorial. RAND’s site work, set to begin over the next few weeks, and the findings to be issued in our report will provide the basis for the repair and restoration program that follows, in conjunction with a re-imagining of the space to serve as a vibrant community center that at the same time reaffirms its dedication to the borough’s veterans.
Cadman Plaza Conservancy President Toba Potosky (left) and RAND President Stephen A. Varone, AIA inside the main hall of the Brooklyn War Memorial.
“RAND is excited to be part of this magnificent project that will restore this historic treasure to its rightful glory,” said RAND President Stephen Varone, AIA, who recently toured the memorial with Mr. Potosky and New York Times reporter David Dunlap. “We look forward to working closely with the Cadman Plaza Conservancy to fulfill its vision for the memorial in honor of the Brooklyn service members who gave their lives for our country.”
For more on the memorial and the restoration project, see the New York Times article and slideshow: An Overwhelming War Memorial That Few Ever See.
