Sylvania City Council approves revitalization of downtown fountain, benches
Downtown Sylvania will be seeing some new beautification in the near future. On Aug. 4, Sylvania City Council approved a contract with Fountains 'N' Such, a Savannah company, to revitalize the inoperable fountain that sits at the center of town square.
The contract includes removing the existing fountain pool and pedestal, rebuilding the walls with brick veneer; and installing a custom cap, decorative nozzles, new pumps, and LED lights. This will cost $96,345.
To complement the new fountain, JG Woodworks in Sylvania has been approved to restore the nearby benches by removing all old and chipping paint, replacing wood with composite decking boards and repainting to the original gloss black. This will cost $11,900.
The total $108,245 will be paid with funds allocated from the 2013 SPLOST. City Manager Stacy Mathis explained Monday that there’s money in that account that can be spent on passive parks.
The fountain was turned off around two years ago after suffering prolonged damage for over 20 years from the weather and other natural factors. Part of this is due to the fact that, while it was advertised to the city as an outdoor fountain, further inspection confirmed it was actually meant to sit indoors in shopping malls and similar structures.
City Councilman James Kirkland, who made the motion to accept this agreement, said he has fond memories of the fountain and is looking forward to seeing the downtown focal point restored to its former glory.
"I've seen during the prom season and graduation, kids are downtown taking pictures and families are downtown taking pictures, sitting around the fountain, so I think going ahead with this completion and getting the fountain back and water flowing, it's gonna make downtown a lot more vibrant," Kirkland said.
Councilwoman Cynthia Scott, who seconded the motion, said she is glad they have come to an agreement on this issue, especially because the fountain is one of the first things people see when they enter the city and they want to make a good impression, particularly with newcomers.
As of Monday, no information has been released on when the work will start or if this will cause any disruptions to nearby traffic.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Sylvania City Council approves revitalization of downtown fountain
