Friendship Fountain: The Truth Beneath the Lies

[thelakelander]

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.

link to article:
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/200/68/

[Charles Hunter]

I heard Culbreth say again tonight that FF "will not be demolished, it will be refurbished" - few in the room (Arlington CPAC) believed him.

[thelakelander]

"I did not have sexual relations with that woman"....suurrrreeee....

The key word needed in this Friendship Fountian case is "Restored" not "Refurbished".

Restore: to bring back to or put back into a former or original state

Refurbish: to brighten or freshen up

[Timkin]

Demolish : Anything historical in Jacksonville...


bad joke. FF should stay, along with any other historic structures

[bruineyes]

It's ashame that we already had a "Great Fire," as a second one today would be a much faster and easier way for Jax to destroy its history, but... well, it's just not original anymore!

(I think my bad joke is worse)


My earliest memories of Jacksonville are of the fountain. I was 3. Possibly my earliest memories period. Why doesn't someone implode the Independent Life (Modis) and the Main St Bridge while we're at it... destroy all the landmarks I first knew my hometown as!

[BostechComputers]

Maybe Peyton should hire Serb Army,they are good at destroying....half price....altough it does take them time. :-(

[Noone]

Refurbish. That just means tear it up and start over. And move quickly on this so that the new administration will have no choice but to follow up and straighten out the mess that the current administration is creating with our Friendship Fountain.

River Accord. "Thats the Word."

[johnmeeks1974]

Don't give up!

[Rebeldon]

That would be a terrible shame!

One problem is that Jacksonville has so many transplant citizens, they don't care if old landmarks are destroyed because they don't have any memories at these locations. It will be hard to convince them that historical landmarks should have value to them.

[Keith726]

That's where's metjax comes in

[johnmeeks1974]

One problem is that Jacksonville has so many transplant citizens, they don't care if old landmarks are destroyed because they don't have any memories at these locations. It will be hard to convince them that historical landmarks should have value to them.

Bingo! Let's also remember that many of these same transplants don't remember Friendship Fountain when it was in working order. They also don't remember a time when IT was a major downtown draw. They only have images of Twisted Martini and the Jacksonville Jaguars dancing in their heads.

Our city leaders like to point to that 'interactive' fountain in Chicago but it should be noted that our friends in 'Chi-town' did not tear down Buckingham Fountain (I went there and immediately thought of 'Married With Children!') to do so and they also did not shoehorn it onto the same land...!

[thelakelander]

I had the pleasure of viewing it over the weekend, at the Special Collections section in the new library. If the mayor's office wants to renovate that site, I'd heavily recommend dusting this old master plan off, because it made since then and it sure makes sense now.

Put together by Perkins & Partners Architects & Planners, the area east of the Main Street Bridge was laid out for a ship museum (including floating vessels), an aquarium, a great lawn (for those who like greenspace), an amphiteatre on the river and a "under the bridge" cafe to help connect this area with the riverwalk section east of the bridge. All this was laid out "AROUND" the fountain, not in it. Later this week, I'll go back down there and have it scanned for everyone to see.

[avonjax]

In my oppinion, pardon the cliche, "a picture speaks a thousand words," and I'm posting these to prove it.
I remember when Friendship Fountain was dedicated.
It was a beautiful icon for a city that had a MAJOR inferiority complex.
I'm dumbfounded that it took the city so many years to capitalize on our greatest asset, the River.
By creating the Riverwalk and lighting the bridges downtown, Jacksonville transformed into a GORGEOUS city at night.
I often go downtown at night to take pictures and chat with people on the Riverwalk around the Landing and the Hyatt on the North bank, and at Friendship Park on the Southbank.
Almost to the person they all love the view. Most of the people I talk to are from out of town and they have very flattering things to say about our waterfront.
The night of the Jags/Steelers game I took pictures of the Modis building and chatted with several people about the Fountain and it's possible fate.
Many were unaware of the plans, but everyone said they loved the fountain and it should be repaired and saved intact.
After all these years, when it's working as it should, it remains a wonderful and beautiful part of our riverfront.
This is not about politics or money. It's about saving one of the true icons of Jacksonville. We are so fortunate to have such a remarkable landmark in our downtown and it must be saved.

[avonjax]

a couple more shots.....

[Keith726]

Avonjax very nice pics I love the fountain,I also drive downtown just to see the city,sometimes back and forth across the bridges to get different views,whenever I have guess in town they always say what a beautiful city Jax is,friendship must be restored to its old glory.

[Jim]

Soemone should forward these to City Hall and then the media.

We'll see how long their stance remains on replacing it.




Any of our media guys, you want to run these by an editor?

[Timkin]

I dont know... Seems when they get it in their head that it goes (gets destroyed), it usually does.

These folks care nothing about preservation. Preservation of old structures create more jobs and add more to the States economy , than new-build. Try to convince these clowns that saving landmarks are better in the long run... You might as well be talking to a door for all the good it would do


By the way...... BEAUTIFUL pictures of the fountain. Would anyone have them showing the old Diamonhead Restaurant on the South bank and then looking from the fountain , to the Northbank, showing before the era of these glass monsters??

[Timkin]

Originally Posted by johnmeeks1974

Don't give up!

This one is Pre-Modis.. early 70s Id guess

[johnmeeks1974]

Very true. Back when Gulf Life and Prudential (on the Southbank) were the only giants in the skyline.

[thelakelander]

Here's an interactive fountain, recently constructed as a part of a private infill development in Greenville, SC.





As you can see, the footprint of an interactive fountain is small and can be accomodated just about anywhere, even on a regular sidewalk, as shown in the pics.