City Of Evanston: Fountain Square Fountain To Remain Off In 2022

Press release from the City of Evanston:

03/09/2022 12:51 PM

Plazas to remain open for public events and activities

The City of Evanston regrets to announce that the Fountain Square fountain will remain off for the 2022 season as it seeks reimbursement of expenses from the fountain contractor, Copenhaver Construction, Inc., to make substantial repairs.

On Friday, March 4, the City issued a demand letter to Copenhaver seeking $5 million in damages – the estimated cost of repairing and reconstructing the fountain to address a significant source of water loss.

The Fountain Square fountain has remained off since spring of 2021, when City staff observed that the fountain was unable to retain water when starting the fountain for the season. The City engaged Christopher B. Burke Engineering to assess the issue and provide a plan for repair. A subsequent forensic engineering study completed by Wiss, Janney, Elstner and Associates, Inc. concluded that Copenhaver installed incorrectly sized waterstops inside the fountain and did not follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for installation, causing water loss of up to 4,536 gallons per day. Copenhaver also failed to submit the waterstops to the City or its engineering consultant, Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd., for review or approval prior to installation.

The City and Christopher B. Burke Engineering have determined that extensive repairs are needed to fix the issue, including removal and replacement of granite pavers, existing mechanical systems, electrical systems, and concrete substructure. The City will budget for the fountain repairs in 2023 as it pursues reimbursement from Copenhaver. Funding for the repairs was not included in the City’s 2022 Budget, as a complete cost estimate was not yet available.

Fountain area to remain open for public gatherings, activities in 2022

Although the fountain will remain off in 2022, both the north and the south plazas will remain open for seating, activities and public gatherings. Downtown Evanston is planning a wide variety of community events, including Thursday Night Markets, health and fitness classes, scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, music performances, and much more. The organization will also bring back “Fun Times Square” in the north plaza, installing artificial turf and providing colorful picnic tables and games for public use.

For more information, please call/text 847-448-4311 or simply dial 311 in Evanston.

This press release was produced by the City of Evanston. The views expressed here are the author’s own.