Detroit's concrete community space has at least a little relief back in the middle. This week, the city celebrated the completion of the repairs on the Dodge Fountain, in the middle of Hart Plaza, which is now flowing again.
Repairs included removal and replacement of metal panels from the fountain’s dome, and repairs to the jets, LED lighting, and plumbing systems. $6.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds were used for the project. It's part of a $9 million project to spruce up Hart Plaza.
The fountain, for the most part, has not work as its been intended for many years. Many people didn't even know that it was a fountain.
“Built in 1981, the Dodge Fountain has been a part of Detroit’s memories for decades,” said Jamon Jordan, City of Detroit Historian. “When we came downtown, to the festivals at Hart Plaza, to the riverfront, to what is now Huntington Place, we would stop at the Fountain. We’d say, meet me at the Fountain, and everyone knew how to find it in the center of Hart Plaza. The reopening of this fountain is the reopening of so many of our great memories of being in downtown Detroit.”
Hart Plaza is host to numerous festivals throughout the year, including Movement, Pride, Jazz Fest, and many cultural festivals.
The fountain is expected to run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
FYI, temperatures are expected to be in the 90s for most of next week.
