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Federal officials marked the reopening of Columbus Circle in Washington, D.C., on Thursday after months of restoration work by the National Park Service.
The upgrades surround the three fountains outside Union Station, which have been repaired and are now running, including the 15-foot Christopher Columbus monument, which has not been functional since 2007.
Flagpoles have also been painted, and the structure supporting the Freedom Bell has been reinforced.
Kevin Griess, the superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks, said the fencing around the circle will come down on Friday, and the territory will officially reopen to the public. He said the project included repairs to the fountain, statues, grass and surrounding park space
Likewise, while attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Columbus Circle fountain, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Trump administration was putting $465 million toward repairs and upgrades at Union Station.
“In our effort to follow the president’s call to make D.C. beautiful and great again, we are announcing that we are giving a grant from DOT to Union Station for $465 million,” Duffy told reporters on Thursday.
The centerpiece of the circle in Union Station Plaza is the 15-foot-tall Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain, which had its plumbing fully restored, causing water to flow for the first time in almost two decades, the Hill reported.
Regardless, Columbus Circle is only a piece of the president’s efforts to restore and maintain national monuments ahead of America’s Semiquincentennial, RSBN reported.
The president has previously begun construction of a new White House ballroom where the East Wing once stood, while also proposing an overhaul of the Trump-Kennedy Center.
