BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — The start of renovations to bring the long-shuttered Brooklyn War Memorial in compliance with ADA guidelines is slated to begin next year, officials said.
The first phase of reconstruction for the Cadman Plaza memorial — which features the names of 11,500 Brooklynites who served in World War II — will include an elevator and ramps for those with disabilities, city officials revealed at a Monday night Community Board 2 meeting.
The memorial closed 25 years ago because it did not meet ADA regulations.
As part of the redesign, the west side of the memorial’s plaza leading to the building’s entrance will be reconstructed to include a ramp and doors that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the plans show.
The building’s existing doors will be outfitted with electronic door openers and refurbished to reflect the 1951 memorial’s original design by stripping the current paint and removing the Parks Department's logos.
A new elevator will provide ADA access from the first floor to basement-level bathrooms, which will now also be ADA-compliant.
Additionally, the memorial’s flagpole will be trimmed with daffodils in the spring and zinnias for the summer and fall.
“The Brooklyn War Memorial is sacred to countless New Yorkers, and downtown Brooklyn has been incomplete without it,” Parks Department Commissioner Mitchell Silver said in a statement.
“It is crucial that we continue to preserve our monuments and memorials so that we can properly honor those individuals who have served this country.”
Construction for the first phase is slated to begin next spring and last 12 to 18 months, the agency said.
The Parks Department is paying for the first phase through $4 million from Borough President Eric Adams, Councilman Stephen Levin and a federal grant, the agency said.
In July 2015, Adams pledged $1 million toward the renovation and an extra $500,000 for landscaping as part of his 2016 capital budget.
The total renovation plan, estimated at $11.8 million, includes a new visitor center, an event space and a restored Wall of Honor.
The project is one part of the “Brooklyn Strand” initiative, a series of projects aimed at connecting the borough’s parks and public plazas.