"A 15-month-long controversy over the possible removal of the brutalist Vaillancourt Fountain is over for now, as the SF Arts Commission just voted 8-5 to take it down, though they say it will be put into storage and it could possibly be rebuilt. It created some waves July 2024 when SF city officials presented a proposed redesign for the Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park and that design did not include the Vaillancourt Fountain that's been there since 1971."
"Their appeals hit a wall when Rec and Parks fenced the fountain off to the public in June of this year, calling it hazardous, and saying, the structure is cracked, corroded and missing key supports. (The water in the fountain hasn't been running in years.) A month later, Rec and Parks officials said that renovating the fountain would cost way too much, with the cost of renovating the fountain at $29 million, while the overall park renovation was working on a $30 million budget."
"Late Monday afternoon, the SF Arts Commission voted to remove Vaillancourt Fountain, in an 8-5 vote that packed City Hall with both supporters and detractors of the fountain. It is not about artistic merit. It is not about the importance of the work, because it is very important, commissioner Janine Shiota said before the vote. I love this space. I saw U2 at this space. But she and seven other commissioners voted to have the fountain removed,"
A 15-month controversy over the brutalist Vaillancourt Fountain ended when the SF Arts Commission voted 8-5 to remove it. The commission decided to place the fountain into storage with the possibility of a future rebuild. City officials proposed a redesign of Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park that excluded the fountain. Rec and Parks fenced the fountain in June, citing hazardous conditions, cracks, corrosion and missing supports, and noted its water had not run for years. Renovation was estimated at $29 million against a $30 million park budget, prompting Rec and Parks to request removal and to offer funding for removal and storage.
Read at sfist.com
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