Brooklyn’s iconic Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch is back—and looking better than it has in decades. After more than two years under wraps , the 132-year-old monument has emerged from an $8.9 million restoration project that scrubbed off a century of grime, patched up structural damage and gave the Arch a new lease on its very stately life.

Unveiled at a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday, the restoration marks the first major upgrade to the arch in nearly 50 years. Funded by mayoral allocations and led by the Prospect Park Alliance , the sweeping renovation tackled everything from replacing the crumbling roof to restoring its ornate bronze statuary and cast-iron spiral staircases.

No detail was too small or too historically significant for the project. With the original

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