A grassroots group of citizens in Duluth, Ga., brought together an architectural team from Sizemore Floyd and Jacobs Engineering Group to develop a master plan to revitalize a historic downtown area that had been bypassed by commercial developments in other areas. The old space was eventually transformed into a town green with an interactive fountain, amphitheater, bandstand, restaurant, park, and a new city hall.

Like many small towns, rapid suburban growth in the 1980s and '90s swept through Duluth, Georgia, and in the process, left the city's downtown area passed by and neglected. The old commercial district, cut off from direct traffic flow in the 1960s by the new Buford Highway, also withered as the highway evolved into a major four-lane artery by the 1990s. These factors combined to drain the life out of the historic but small downtown business district, which became a place for repair shops, public works storage and city utility buildings.

In 1996, a grassroots group of concerned citizens banded together to take a look at the old town center and determine what could be done to salvage the historic buildings and revitalize the downtown.

After a series of studies and pubic charrettes, the city developed a plan of action to renovate the downtown, once again making it the center of their city. The first step was to create a town green and activity area that would breathe life back into the town, attracting people back to the city center.

A team of landscape architects at Jacobs Engineering was selected to design the city's first revitalization project after extensive master plan studies. The Town Green and Festival Center area was identified as the best place to begin implementing the changes; renovating the area would provide an outdoor gathering space and amphitheater for performances, events and the city's annual Duluth Fall Festival.

Fountain
The design team recognized the need to include a focal point that would animate the space and become an icon and attraction for the citizens. This led to the inclusion of an interactive fountain in the design, centered in a space that can also be used as a performance stage when the water is off. The platform of the fountain is a simple saucer shaped bowl of granite pavers that captures the falling water and recirculates it back to the jets. The platform of the fountain forms a stage at the base of a grass amphitheater and is sized to hold a full orchestra in performance.

The fountain's multi-jet central spray head shoots a column of water 20 feet into the air that falls back to the surface of the saucer shaped deck and collects in a vault beneath the fountain. The central jet is encircled by a series of small spray nozzles that arch into the central column. The granite paver deck also has a brick border on the outside edge that includes the names of all the participants and contributors to the development of the project.

The granite paver deck's brick border on the outside edge of the fountain includes the names of the participants and contributors to the project's development.

Although the fountain was a simple addition to the Town Green, it has proven to be the major attraction of the park. Daycare centers and summer camps bus their children to the park just to let them play in the fountain. It became so popular that the city had to start taking reservations for birthday parties in the fountain. People say it is hard to be on the Green on a summer day and not be tempted to just run through the jets.

The fountain has become a magnet that generates energy and attracts people to the Town Green. Zoning ordinances for the area were updated as a part of the ongoing redevelopment, allowing loft apartments and opening new avenues for mixed-use development. Real estate developers are investing in parcels of land adjacent to the new town green to develop new projects. Families with young children are drawn to the fountain, where kids can play in a safe and protected environment without fear of drowning or injury. The smaller children tend to play under the outlying sprays, while the older children brave their way through the giant central jet.

The Duluth fountain has become the jewel of the Town Green and an icon for the city. The green itself hosts numerous events, weddings, parties, concerts and celebrations all year. Citizens come to the green annually to light their permanent Christmas tree and to have their Christmas card photos made with the fountain. The project has won numerous local, state and national awards, including "Best Small Town Park in the Nation" from Metropolitan Magazine in 2003, and recognition as a development of excellence by the Atlanta Regional Commission in 2007.