City officials announced that San Francisco's Vaillancourt Fountain will not be included in new park plans, despite public support for its preservation. Construction costs to restore the fountain are estimated at $29 million, excluding design and staff costs. Previous estimates indicated $3 million was needed for pump replacements. Opponents cite health concerns due to asbestos and lead and the fountain's structural integrity. A redevelopment plan for Embarcadero Plaza aims to create a park that better meets citizens' needs, with $26.5 million allocated for the renovation project.
Although city officials insist no final decision has been made regarding the fate of the sculptor Armand Vaillancourt's Brutalist masterpiece in Embarcadero Plaza, the fountain was not a part of any of the planning activities prepared for a public consultation that took place on 8 July.
Eoanna Harrison Goodwin, a project manager at the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department (Rec), told an audience of roughly 200 people that construction costs to preserve the fountain have been estimated at $29m.
Rec officials had previously given an estimated figure of $3m for replacing the fountain's pumps, which failed last year.
Approximately $26.5m has been earmarked in public and private funding for the entire plaza renovation project.
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