Friendship Fountain

[peestandingup]

The city clearly never follows through with plans, half asses them, doesn't take care of what it has, etc. Its apparent in everything around. So I'm willing to bet that the fountain will eventually follow this same direction (again).

Its not just the current maintenance issues, but the overall feel I get when Ive been around there the past few months after its restoration. I know I've harped on the music, but that really does tie into all of this. It shows a lack of basic caring & thought. Then I noticed some nights no music at all. Then the fountain seems to never run "full spray" like it used to at times throughout the day (basically just the same steady trickle now). Then the loose pavers (a few at first, now there's quite a few of them). Cracks in the walkways, less people coming out for it, etc.

Plus, the area around it is just thoughtless & disorganized. Surrounded by highways, with very little foot traffic. And I don't have to tell you guys about that side of the Riverwalk & the state it's in. It's a mess.

Again, all this reeks of the same stuff that plagues this city. It's shameful really. I'm sure they'll fix the fountain (for now). But it would not surprise me one bit if it ends up in a similar state as before in a year or two. Then the idiot population as a whole (who doesn't live or do anything in the core) will once again complain how it & everything associated with downtown is a waste, thus continuing the cycle.

[duvaldude08]

Well, the only saving grace here is that the City is aware of the problem and are attempting to address it. I can't help but  to think about the lights that were on the Main St Bridge during Super Bowl, there was a time when the City said they were working on getting them fixed. Still nothing today! I just think this whole issue of maintenance is something the City can't seem to grasp.

Not only they are aware, but the fact that somebody is actually monitoring the operation of the fountain and has ordered the part to fix it is step in the right direction for this city to be honest.

[Bativac]

Well, the only saving grace here is that the City is aware of the problem and are attempting to address it. I can't help but  to think about the lights that were on the Main St Bridge during Super Bowl, there was a time when the City said they were working on getting them fixed. Still nothing today! I just think this whole issue of maintenance is something the City can't seem to grasp.

There seem to be separate issues going on. The city accepts the lowest bid for projects; the city fails to maintain them; the city does not budget to maintain them; the city lets projects stick around for awhile and then fall into disrepair. (Look over at the Southbank Riverwalk.)

Jacksonville really does do a good job with building some of this stuff - the Riverwalk was really cool when it was first built, for example, and Kids' Kampus - but when it comes to maintaining, either they run out of money or nobody cares. Or both.

I'm eager to see the Fountain re-restored to its splendor.

[tufsu1]

Well, the only saving grace here is that the City is aware of the problem and are attempting to address it. I can't help but  to think about the lights that were on the Main St Bridge during Super Bowl, there was a time when the City said they were working on getting them fixed. Still nothing today! I just think this whole issue of maintenance is something the City can't seem to grasp.

That's exactly what I thought of when I read the quote about the electronics "going haywire."

the lights were a "cool" design by a local architect/designer....and the City actually did fix them once...then the lights broke again...I think the City rightly decided the maintenance of the lights was just too much.

[tufsu1]

Then the fountain seems to never run "full spray" like it used to at times throughout the day

there is a very good reason for this...it was winter and they were concerned with overspray from winds on colder days.

Please read the jaxfountain website....the person who blogs on there cares more about the fountain than probably anyone else in this city.

[fsujax]

ok, maybe upkeeping the bridge lights was too much, but weeding the newly planted beds on Laura St? really. how hard is that?

the jaxfountain website is a good source.

[Ocklawaha]

Some cities grow up, determined and predictably, to resemble a fine tuned  FAO Schwarz store.
Jacksonville on the other hand is quietly slipping from the grasp of K-Mart.
I'm hanging on in my belief that we can change it, escape however, remains a viable option, just don't get stuck.
I got myself out of a civil war once and I think I can get out of Jacksonville, other's seem to have tried and failed. The entire population in fact. But there is always hope. You know, people are always putting Jacksonville down. None of my friends can believe I live here. But that's because they don't get it: I'm living in a state of utter denial.

With apologies to:
The Long Kiss Goodnight
Happiness
for butchering the quotes.

OCKLAWAHA

[Know Growth]

Some cities grow up, determined and predictably, to resemble a fine tuned  FAO Schwarz store.
Jacksonville on the other hand is quietly slipping from the grasp of K-Mart.
I'm hanging on in my belief that we can change it, escape however, remains a viable option, just don't get stuck.
I got myself out of a civil war once and I think I can get out of Jacksonville, other's seem to have tried and failed. The entire population in fact. But there is always hope. You know, people are always putting Jacksonville down. None of my friends can believe I live here. But that's because they don't get it: I'm living in a state of utter denial.

With apologies to:
The Long Kiss Goodnight
Happiness
for butchering the quotes.

OCKLAWAHA

Certain angst seen in the posts here.

Bail out.

The signature Fountain Scene telling.
Less and less propensity to grant slack.

If not by 'now'.......when??

The money Wife and I are saving from skipping habitual Shoppes of Avondale dine forays could lead to finally affording too expensive better place.

[fsujax]

and more about the fountain from the Daily Record yesterday. Now landscaping issues. and not enough money to plant vines for the pergola? really?

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/downtowntoday.php?dt_date=2012-05-15

[Dapperdan]

The fountain spray was pretty dramatic when they first opened the new park. I watched all the grass, etc get blanketed with the chlorine water and knew that would be a problem. No one thought of this in advance? That is why the original fountain had concrete all around and much further out.

[peestandingup]

Then the fountain seems to never run "full spray" like it used to at times throughout the day

there is a very good reason for this...it was winter and they were concerned with overspray from winds on colder days.

Please read the jaxfountain website....the person who blogs on there cares more about the fountain than probably anyone else in this city.

I wouldn't call that a good reason. So they made it trickle out for months because we may or may not have had a few days of cooler weather? This is Florida after all. And I can probably count the cool days we had this winter on one hand.

Couldn't they have simply turned it down on those appropriate days, or would that have been too much effort?

[John P]

Easy solution. Attach a wind meter to the programming software. There I fixed it for you. Where is my check?

[fsujax]

i heard that it did have a wind meter.

[duvaldude08]

Maybe I have on rose colored glasses, or I dont get worked up over stuff, but Im not getting all flustered over this. There are issues with the fountain, they are being proactive and rectifying the issues. The old Jacksonville would have let it crumble for 20 years before deciding to do something. Just my two cents.

[Debbie Thompson]

As Dapper Dan said, they should have known overspray would be a problem and not planted chlorine sensitive plants there. Sounds like they solved the issue with less chlorine. Let's hope so.

My issue is that I was told I had to pay $5 valet parking fees to the restaurant.  There was no free public parking for the free public fountain, and I had no cash on me.  There used to be a few public spaces near the traffic circle, but apparently the City gave those as well as all the rest to the restaurant.  Really? No free parking for a public park?