Public Design Commission Withdraws Jefferson Repair Item and Will Hold Public Hearing

The New York City Public Design Commission has withdrawn the proposed repair of the city-owned Thomas Jefferson by David d’Angers from its July 20 consent agenda and will instead present the matter at a public hearing.

On July 17, the Commission informed the Washington Street Advocacy Group:

“Project #30459 is considered withdrawn and will be presented at the next appropriate public hearing.”

The Commission’s revised July 20 agenda now marks the Jefferson item “WITHDRAWN.” This means it will not receive the scheduled consent-agenda vote on Monday. The date of the future public hearing has not yet been announced.

The change followed WSAG’s formal July 15 request to testify and a July 16 letter organized by WSAG and signed by historians and scholars. The letter asked that the circumstances and implications of the damage and completed repair be discussed in the public record, including the authority under which the June 12 treatment proceeded and the sequence among advisory review, the completed repair, and the full Commission’s formal action.

Securing a hearing is an important step toward public accountability. It does not by itself answer the outstanding questions about the repair, the movement of this fragile painted-plaster sculpture into a new gallery, or its long-term stewardship. The hearing will give the public an opportunity to hear a formal presentation, examine the record, and offer testimony before the Commission acts.

Read the continuously updated Thomas Jefferson Sculpture: Documents and Timeline for the revised agenda, incident report, treatment proposal, photographs, institutional statement, chronology, and outstanding questions.