Renovations To Begin at Washington Square Park

Renovations in Washington Square Park will go forward after years of legal challenges, New York State judge Joan Madden ruled yesterday. The plan, which the city's parks department first proposed in 2003, includes relocating the iconic fountain 23 feet east to line up with the George Washington memorial arch, decreasing the size of the fountain plaza to create more green space in the park, and increasing the capacity of the fountain's water jets. The city had faced four lawsuits, all of which were dismissed by state judges.