Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, and the Cadman Park Conservancy unveiled a vision for a renovated Brooklyn War Memorial and Cadman Plaza Park.
The event, held in honor of Veterans Day, was also attended by members of the United Military Veterans of Kings County, Kings County Council of Jewish War Veterans and the Catholic War Veterans of Kings County.
A renovated Brooklyn War Memorial and Cadman Plaza Park are key components of the overall vision for the Brooklyn Strand, a proposed pedestrian-friendly green space connecting Downtown Brooklyn to Brooklyn Bridge Park.
“We owe it to our borough’s veterans to get the Brooklyn War Memorial right, and I have committed capital dollars to rightfully restoring this monument for those who honorably served our nation in World War II,” Adams said.
“The advocacy and dedication of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and Cadman Plaza Conservancy, fueled by the spirit of our vets and their families, will ensure our vision of this memorial becomes reality,” he added.
Tucker Reed, president of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership said the Brooklyn War Memorial is “hallowed ground for our local veterans,” adding that, the celebration of Veterans Day, “we’re on the road to restoring it to its former glory.”
“Thanks to the leadership of Borough President Adams and our local park and veteran advocates, we’ll soon have a memorial and surrounding park worthy of those they honor,” Reed said.
Adams noted that urban planner Robert Moses envisioned one World War II memorial in each borough; Brooklyn’s was the only to be completed.
The Brooklyn War Memorial has been shuttered for 25 years ago due to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) non-compliance, Adams said.
He said the plan would rehabilitate the building, advancing the original vision as a war memorial and learning center.
Adams also said the project would provide an opportunity for World War II veterans and their families to visit, and future generations to learn about those who served.
Proposed renovations include a visitor’s and exhibition center, a roof terrace and event space, a new elevator and complete restoration to the Wall of Honor.
Those renovations are projected to cost $11.8 million, with adjoining landscaping projected to cost $3.8 million, Adams said.
The borough president said the projected cost for a Cadman Plaza Park restoration is $3.5 million.
“I am honored to stand with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, and the Cadman Park Conservancy to honor our veterans,” said Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon. “As a daughter of the greatest generation, I look forward to the completion of the renovated War Memorial that will pay tribute to the veterans of World War II and all of those who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our nation’s freedom and ensuring our safety.”
