The Exchange Club and Fredenhagen family will be asked to weigh several plans for fixing the fountain in Fredenhagen Park east of Washington Street next to the Naperville Riverwalk.
Known as the Exchange Club Memories Fountain, the centerpiece of the 1-acre park was shut down in summer 2021 because of operational issues.
A 2022 assessment showed the fountain’s waterproofing membrane was compromised and needs replacement.
In addition, the vault with the water feature’s controls requires several safety upgrades, and there’s a leaking pipe just outside of it. The city also would need to replace the fountain lights with a more energy-efficient system.
Three mock-ups from the Hitchcock Design Group were presented to the Riverwalk Planning, Design and Construction Committee Tuesday and the larger Riverwalk Commission Wednesday.
The first plan is to rehabilitate the existing fountain and the second would be to replace it with a natural water feature. A third option would be to eliminate the water aspect in favor of a large sculpture with landscaping.
Bill Novack, the city’s transportation, engineering and design director, said the committee favored fixing the fountain while the commission leaned toward the natural water feature.
Neither group had any desire for the third option, and it was dropped from further consideration, he said.
With the Riverwalk expansion and the proposed North Central College gateway along Washington Street, committee members said the fountain would become more of a centerpiece in the area, Novack said.
The estimated cost to return the Memories Fountain to its former glory would be $289,850, not the $400,000 that city was first quoted.
The Hitchcock report said the fixes would prevent the caustic environment created in the fountain’s vault that caused premature corrosion of several important mechanical components and hardware.
Repairing the lighting is projected to be $104,500 of the full cost, the report said.
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With the natural water feature, initial plans call for a rock waterfall into a pond with water and ornamental flora as well as sculptures of regional river fauna.
While the natural water feature doesn’t have cost estimates yet, Novack said he expects the cost would be higher because the basic repairs need to be made along with adding materials, sculptures and plantings.
The benefits of the natural water feature, according to the Hitchcock report, are that it’s a simpler mechanical system and is cheaper to repair, chemically friendly and provides educational opportunities on river ecology.
Novack said commission members showed interest because it could become an attraction to draw families with young children to the other side of Washington Street to search for the animals in the rocks or pond and then see if they can find them in the river when strolling the Riverwalk.
Before proceeding, Novack said he wants to narrow down cost estimates and future maintenance costs.
In addition, he said, neither the city nor the Naperville Park District have a natural water feature so both groups don’t know what is involved.
Fredenhagen Park opened in November 2003 on land donated by Ted Fredenhagen and Rita Harvard, children of Walter and Grace Fredenhagen. The site was home to the Cock Robin ice cream parlor for 70 years.
Walter Fredenhagen founded the Cock Robin chain, which was known for its square ice cream scoops.
The fountain was funded by the Exchange Club through the sale of granite stones and bricks with engraved messages.
Novack said members of the Exchange Club and Fredenhagen family will be asked for input on the fountain’s restoration.
The Riverwalk Commission has said no work — either restoration or new construction — likely would take place until late 2023 or 2024.