WILMINGTON – Plans for a new water sculpture in place of Riverfront Park’s long-defunct fountain received a flow of funds this week.
Wilmington City Council on Tuesday accepted and allocated a $20,000 donation from the N.C. Azalea Festival to pair with another $20,000 budgeted for the installation of a symbolic water feature at the downtown park.
With that $40,000, the partners desire to commission an artist, architect, engineer or other qualified professional for the sculpture’s custom design, which should “embody the spirit of the North Carolina Azalea Festival, and be a direct, obvious representation of such,” according to project information presented to the council.
Councilwoman Laura Padgett, before the unanimous vote on the allocation, said it’ll be great to see water dancing on the riverfront again. “I don’t know how long (the fountain currently in place) lasted,” she said. “It seems it’s been inoperable as long as I remember.”
The fountain in place at the park is in a pit of dry stones with a pipe at the center that hasn’t pumped water for years. But if all goes as planned, the new feature could gush in time for the 2013 Azalea Fest in April, coordinators have said.
To scout the best design, they’ve opened a contest to artists, architects, engineers and other professional creators who, according to the festival office, should consider water conservation and lasting materials. Chiefly, though, the goal is a standout production that will symbolize the Azalea Fest and place Riverfront Park on its way to revitalization.
“The water feature will be the focal point of the new Riverfront Park design,” the contest’s announcement stated. The deadline to participate will be Oct. 19. Persons may register here.
The park’s current look is the product of its last major overhaul, in the 1980s, and city officials have noted that its age is showing.
Six years ago, the City of Wilmington with Wilmington Downtown Inc., New Hanover County and other partners secured a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to design a downtown festival park. After support fell off for a plan to develop that park in the parking lot next to City Hall, they shifted their focus to Riverfront Park.
Phase I of the park’s redevelopment calls for the water sculpture, new landscaping and other improvements around the existing fountain area. While the full redevelopment is years out, officials have said they envision a scene comparable to Waterfront Park in Charleston, S.C.
Contact Ben Brown at [email protected] or (910) 772-6335. On Twitter: @benbrownmedia
