A Tree Grows Atop Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza Arch, Outraging Locals

BROOKLYN, NY — A tree grows in Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza Arch. Actually, right on top of it.

For one Park Slope resident, the disrepair of Brooklyn's Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch at the northern corner of Prospect Park is an outrage.

"It's a scandal," local Park Sloper John told Patch. "[It] completely disrespects the Union War Veterans who died to help end human slavery and try to save the country."

For the Parks Department, it's a problem with the arch's longtime structural shortcomings. And bird poop.

"This bio-growth is the result of seeding from bird droppings in open masonry joints," said Parks department spokesperson Meghan Lalor. "Masonry repairs are required to prevent bio-growth in the first place."

The Parks department has remove trees and shrubs from the arch in the past, Lalor said, but is a short-term, superficial solution.

The entire arch is due for a $6 million top-to-bottom restoration effort, which Lalor said is slated to be completed by 2024. City records show the city began accepting bid proposals last month.

Fixes should curtail the growth of poop-fed greenery and fix other structural issues, including brick and stone work, staircase replacement and roof repairs, Lalor said.

Lalor also noted the Department shares John's concerns about preserving, and respecting, the city's 270+ war memorials.

"We understand the importance these monuments have in helping New Yorkers to heal, reflect and honor our heroes," she said. "And we work hard to ensure that they are kept in good condition that is worthy of the men and women they represent."

John, however, doesn't feel quite the same, especially since he said he's seen tree growth popping up on the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch for "months and years."

"[It] makes Brooklyn look like a fourth rate city," he said of the greenery. "It's a disgrace that would not happen in other major world cities."