The Washington Street Advocacy Group believes that there is an extraordinary opportunity to remake the historical signs in Lower Manhattan to tell new stories and reengage with the history of one of the most significant locations in the United States. The demand for such a project became clear during the heavy engagement with memorialization and historical memory during the summer of 2020.
When the Downtown Alliance announced in Spring 2021 that they were planning to update the existing signs on their own initiative, the Washington Street Advocacy Group joined with the Harlem Historical Society to author a brief suggesting that the project should be reconceived with the input of a broader group of historians.
On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, the Waterfront, Parks & Cultural Committee of Community Board 1 in Lower Manhattan debated the Downtown Alliance's proposal to rewrite the signs and replace the stanchions for the "Heritage Trails New York" project of the 1990s.
Taina Prado and Natalie Armstrong gave a presentation on the plans. After a debate, the committee decided to reject the plan with conditions, which were listed before the vote.
Please watch this meeting and stayed tuned for updates. We hope to collaborate with the Downtown Alliance to improve this initiative.
If you have ideas for this initiative, please email Todd Fine at tdfine@gmail.com.