The Marcus Garvey Park Alliance is currently undertaking a plan to restore the historical landmarked Harlem Fire Watchtower structure, which stands 47 feet tall atop Mount Morris in the park.
Last year the group received about $4 million in funding from Councilwoman Inez Dickens and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer to restore the tower. According to Connie Lee, an MGP Alliance board officer, this year the cast-iron tower, which was built in 1857, will be dismantled piece by piece by the summer with a goal of having it back up by the end of 2015 or early 2016.
While the tower is being restored, the Acropolis, which was built around the watchtower, will be renovated but she said the cost of that remains to be seen. The alliance wants the 27,000-square-foot space to be functional so that it could accommodate a variety of uses. Some ideas for a renewed space include having it utilized as an urban farm, a public art space or a food concession.
