2010 Renovation Picture Tracking

We have added a new Picture Album with pictures just taken on Friday August 13, 2010 of the Fountain and surrounding park.

Hopefully as the renovations get started we will be adding pictures of the work and progress until completion.

http://jaxfountain.com/Gallery/2010

-Bob

BIG News! Friendship Fountain/Park Renovations!

Just got an email from Eric Lindstrom, Redevelopment Manager for the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, with an update....

Drum roll please...

The contract on the above project is still going through the execution process. The selected contractor is AC General, Inc. We hope to begin demolition in the next 2-3 weeks. Thank you for your inquiry.

He followed up that email with contact information for AC General Inc, Richard McInturff, PM, who I have already been in contact with who has indicated they will try to keep JaxFountain.com updated with progress...

I also found the following links referring to the project:
http://www.ldiline.com/home.cfm?id=16451

The below link contains .pdf drawings of the project for those so inclined...
http://ldiline.com/select_files.cfm?proj=16451

I plan on getting some current photos of the Fountain and Surrounding Park this week and hope to be able to obtain groundbreaking as well as incremental images of the renovations as they proceed and post them to the JaxFountain.com web site...

Stay tuned we will post any updates as they arrive... Finally some action ;)

-Bob

Friendship Fountain/Park Redevelopment Update

On March 11, 2010 I posted communications I received from Ron Barton, the Executive Director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, indicating to contact him again in May for an update.

I emailed Ron on May 11, 2010 and today received a reply that Eric Lindstrom,
Redevelopment Manager for the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, would be
contacting me with additional information, that email was received less then an hour later.

The Friendship Fountain improvements will be let for bid May 26. We will open bids June 30. I would anticipate a construction start date by August 1. I can give you a better idea on the actual start date in mid July. Contact me then and I can be more precise on the exact start date. Thanks.

Eric Lindstrom

So I want to thank the Mayor, Ron Barton and Eric Lindstrom for keeping us informed regarding this long overdue restoration and hopefully come July we will know the full exact scope of work and time frame for restoring this Jacksonville Downtown Centerpiece.

Edit: Eric provided additional information regarding the plans for the restoration which can be viewed by accessing the below link and clicking on "February 2010 (PDF 8.94Mb)"
http://www.coj.net/Departments/Jacksonville+Economic+Development+Commission/Downtown+Development/DDRB+Meeting+Information.htm

A direct link to the PDF file is below:
DDRB Meeting Packet February 2010.pdf

Stay tuned...

Bob

Protest Senate Bill 6 At Friendship Park

Deborah Gianoulis will be leading a protest against Senate Bill 6, also known as the Teacher Merit Pay bill, today, April 14, 2010 at Friendship Park starting at 4:00 PM ET followed by a march across the Main Street Bridge at 5:00 PM ET.
FirstCoast News Story Link

-Bob

Friendship Fountain Refurb Update

I sent an email to the Mayor on February 22, 2010 requesting any information on scheduling for the work that is to be done on the Fountain and Southbank riverwalk.

Today I received a reply from Ron Barton the Executive Director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission as follows:

Hello Bob. We are still a 2-3 months away from any actual construction.
Just check bak with me via e-mail around May and I should have a
construction schedule updated and that can guide our start and progress.

Which I quickly replied to thanking him for the information and assuring him I would be checking back in May.

Later in the day I realized that the mail contained a Communication to Ron from the Mayor...

Ron, please respond on my behalf and copy me. Thanks.

Glad to see it appears I am off the freeze out list :)

Can't wait to get more information and will do my best to update images on the site once work commences...

-Bob

Finally some love for Friendship Fountian

It was just announced that the Jacksonville City Council approved the Mayor's plans for Friendship Fountain...
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-02-09/story/jacksonville_council_oks_downtown_projects

I cannot wait to see what actually gets done!

-Bob

Will 2010 be the Year? Finally...

Well after 2009 which started off with really horrible news regarding Friendship Fountain as far as I am concerned it seems 2010 is starting off with at least some positive remarks, now the question is will we see any real action?

Ron Littlepage Jan 5, 2010

Jacksonville's to-do list for 2010 includes Jaguars, economy"

Dec 18, 2009

Jacksonville can revitalize its core with minimal investment

Letters to the Editor Times Union Jan 3, 2010

Friendship Park: Make the fountain spectacular

Only time will tell and these "Impending Plans" for Friendship Fountain really are pretty vague...

Renovations Coming to Friendship Fountain

From a personal perspective if the City does nothing more then repairs the Fountain so that all three rings work again that would be a huge step in the right direction. Talk about sad, the shots of the Northbank from the Southbank through what is left running of the Fountain during the lone Televised home game this year...

-Bob