Friendship Fountain: The Truth Beneath the Lies

[Metro Jacksonville]

Friendship Fountain: The Truth Beneath the Lies



 If the city has its way, Friendship Fountain, one of Jacksonville’s most recognizable landmarks, is well  on its way to being destroyed and replaced by a new interactive kiddie pool along  with  a downtown resembling Sesame Street.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/200

[avonjax]

Great information. Just the thought of the city destroying what I too consider a downtown landmark is infuriating. The mayor and his administration constantly scream "budget," yet based on these numbers they again want to waste taxpayers money on something that just needs some repair. What total hypocrisy? This information NEEDS to be shared with all of Jacksonville so they too can see what a foolish idea this is, and a very, very bad waste of money. I know I will be passing this information to everyone I know.

[Greg]

Please, Oh please, DO NOT destroy the beautiful friendship fountain.  It's one of the crown jewels and truly distinctive landmarks in downtown Jacksonville.

[Sue Star]

The beautiful fountain should be restored to its former glory, it's the one thing us as taxpayers would like to see our money spent on (Not $500,000 for a study and then say 800,000+ is too much to repair). Repair the fountain and forget the kid fountain idea. The kids park at Metro Park is far enough away from the water that the parents can enjoy being with their children, and Chaparones for Field Trips can properly watch them. The site at Friendship Park would be a nightmare for field trips, with a kids park so close to the St. Johns River. Children's safety should be foremost on everyone's mind.

[keep the past alive]

Hello again I just saw all this informatiom you have here and i'm simply outraged. Why the hell does this city spend so much money to build a part only to now want to relocate it. this is like the U.S.S Kennedy getting completely rebuilt at a cost of 3 mill and not she's to be decomissioned only like a year and a half after all that work was done. My question is why? What are you people in charge of our city thinking where does all these ideas get justified? You can't see spend oh 865,000 but you can see spending millions to destroy that which so many love. Well i'm outraged you people have no place in charge of anything if this is how you do such a small item I could only imagine how much of our tax dollars are getting used for god knows what. By the way what happens after you take the fountain then 5 years goes by then you decide to set your sites on the mosh next? There is absolutly no justified act or reasoning for this leave the city the way it is if you must go ahead with this plan build on that vacant lot over near the florida board of educations building theres a great piece of property just begging for use. Well i'm finished with my speech AND I ABSOLUTELY DON'T STAND OR AGREE WITH YOUR IDEA'S FOR OUR FOUNTAIN LEAVE IT ALONE AND REPAIR YES REPAIR IT.:(

[keep the past alive]

The city spends so much to build a "park" now to want to relocate it. This is like the U.S.S Kennedy getting renovated at a cost of 3 mill only "now" to get decomissioned.Where do all of these idea's get justified? you can't see spending oh 865,000 but the million rage is ok huh? These are the typo's so this way you people understand exactly what I was saying here today. Speak loud and often Keep the past alive.

[keep the past alive]

But the million "range" is ok huh?

[M A Bryant]

Let the children play in the fountains at the Landing (located directly across the river).  Oh, I forgot, the parents have no place to park their car.  My My Mayor Peyton, not much of a planner are you?

[Lunican]

So what is the status of this project. Is anything still in the works? There are so many projects well over a year old that have shown absolutely no signs of progress.

A city of a million people can't even get a simple fountain working? come on...

[Ocklawaha]

San Francisco wouldn't replace the Golden Gate Bridge
New York wouldn't update Miss Liberty in a Bikini
St. Louis wouldn't sell the silver gateway arch to Mickey D's.
Hollywood wouldn't remove the giant hillside sign that shouts it's name
Charleston would never level Fort Sumpter for a Condo Complex
Washington wouldn't remove the Lincoln memorial and replace it with a statue of Jefferson BY-GOD Davis. (though I might support that idea)

But Jacksonville, with a landmark, WORLD FAMOUS fountain, would destroy it for a 7-11 store!

Why can't we just repair the original, and surround it with interactive kiddie fountains built into the surrounding sidewalks? The best of both worlds never seem to occur to us... BTW, have we ever fixed the helment on the Spanish soldier in the parK? It was broken prior to 1980!

IF the day comes to rip it up, we should all surround it in mass, and dare them to cross the line in the rubble. First operator over our line is tossed into the river!  

Ocklawaha

[Charleston native]

They better not rip up this fountain! This place was one of my first experiences to the city of Jacksonville and inspired my desire to move there. My family and I went there for the North Florida Sports Festival Swim Meet in '91, and when we walked from the Landing to the fountain, I truly realized how beautiful the city was. I didn't need to splash around in a pool to enjoy it...and I was only 16!

Please tell me nothing has happened to this great landmark.

[jeh1980]

San Francisco wouldn't replace the Golden Gate Bridge
New York wouldn't update Miss Liberty in a Bikini
St. Louis wouldn't sell the silver gateway arch to Mickey D's.
Hollywood wouldn't remove the giant hillside sign that shouts it's name
Charleston would never level Fort Sumpter for a Condo Complex
Washington wouldn't remove the Lincoln memorial and replace it with a statue of Jefferson BY-GOD Davis. (though I might support that idea)

But Jacksonville, with a landmark, WORLD FAMOUS fountain, would destroy it for a 7-11 store!

Why can't we just repair the original, and surround it with interactive kiddie fountains built into the surrounding sidewalks? The best of both worlds never seem to occur to us... BTW, have we ever fixed the helment on the Spanish soldier in the parK? It was broken prior to 1980!

IF the day comes to rip it up, we should all surround it in mass, and dare them to cross the line in the rubble. First operator over our line is tossed into the river!  

Ocklawaha

We all don't have to worry. Friendship Fountain is here to stay . Its not going anywhere. So let's just all relax! The Mayor's "Big Idea" proposal is already forgotten by now.

[Charleston native]

^ Yeah, I didn't realize that this topic was over a year old. I remember this plan being discussed at MetJax, and I was thankful that they canceled it. I need to take my wife and son there soon!

[gatorback]

I think it's the perfect location for street level parking...gosh, we don't have water to waste and we need to do something with all those parking meters we ordered last year from cousin Billy Bob's downtown Baptist Book Store and Parking Meter Research Center.

[raheem942]

leave it be my fountain aint bothering nobody and besides i like it