Above: The fountain in question.

The fountain in Eau Claire’s Wilson Park – a downtown fixture for more than a century – hasn’t worked for nearly a year and needs to be replaced, and the city is seeking input from community members on what a new fountain could look like. 

The city will hold the first of four planned Wilson Park Fountain Public Design Workshops from 6-8:30pm on Thursday, Oct. 3, in the North Conference Room at Eau Claire City Hall, 203 S. Farwell St. Madison-based Design Studio Etc. will lead the workshop, and city staff will be on hand to take questions and discuss the process. 

“The Oct. 3 event is the first of four planned public meetings where a shared vision will be created,” the city said in a press release. “Participants will have an active and direct role in crafting designs that residents will then have an opportunity to vote on. Additional public workshops and online surveys will be used to narrow down the design alternatives to a final preferred design.” The remaining three public meetings haven’t yet been scheduled, but one will likely be held during the first half of November with two more during December.

The current fountain, which was installed in the 1960s, suffered a “catastrophic” pipe failure last fall, and the city determined the fountain would have to be partially or fully removed to fix problem. Because this was not seen as cost-effective, the city instead set aside $147,000 in its 2020 capital budget to replace the fountain. 

To learn more about the project, including upcoming workshop dates when they are scheduled, visit the city's website or contact Josh Solinger at joshua.solinger@eauclairewi.gov.