Jacksonville?EUR??,,????'???s Friendship Fountain

Landscape Architecture by Flagg Design Studio, LLC

The 200-foot diameter fountain projects a curved, radiating walkway to the river, accentuated by 22 25-foot Medjool date palms, while eliminating elevation changes. One-hundred-thirty-five color-changing LEDs were added to create a programmed light show with synchronized music.

Hundreds of attendees celebrated the end of a nine-month, $3.1 million restoration of the Friendship Park and Fountain in Jacksonville, Fla., at a June 2011 reopening ceremony fitting the city?EUR??,,????'???s most recognizable landmark. Built in 1965, Friendship Fountain was the largest and tallest fountain of its time, but after decades of deterioration, the water feature and surrounding park were in desperate need of an update.

In late 2010, the city of Jacksonville, along with the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission (EDC), set out to reclaim the acclaim the iconic downtown attraction had earned in the past. A team of professionals, led by EDC head Paul Crawford, ASLA, and landscape architect Chris Flagg, were tasked with developing a vision and a site plan to reestablish the majesty of Friendship Park and the fountain. In the park, 80 percent of the original concrete was replaced with green space to mitigate the heat index, and a small grassed amphitheater with stone seat walls was added to provide casual seating and an entertainment venue. Native landscaping of live oaks, grasses, palms and ground covers minimize irrigation requirements and provide shade, accents and buffering to the space. The entrance area wall was lowered, and the adjacent oak tree area was converted into a picnic space with new tables, chairs and trash cans. New benches were also added throughout the park.

The original hardscape offered minimal shade, had subpar seating and broken-down picnic tables. The Southbank Riverwalk was rebuilt with decorative sidewalks. Maritime lighting, railings and benches and tables (Dumor Site Furnishings) were site upgrades. Eighty percent of the concrete was replaced with Tifway 419 Bermuda sod and native plants.

Engineers overhauled the water feature with new pumps, fountainheads and mechanical support systems, and maintenance improvements included new plumbing, roofing, a chlorine tank and installation of three new turbine pumps. When all three pumps run at maximum capacity, they spray 22,000 gallons of water in the air. A wind anemometer was installed atop the pump house, which automatically raises or lowers the fountain jets accordingly. A new stainless steel railing was mounted on the fountain wall and the basin was painted light blue.

Multicolored LEDs added to the fountain and throughout the site use 30 percent less energy than the old incandescent lighting. An all-weather sound system was installed, and a spectacular light show with synchronized music was produced for the park. The light show runs every evening during holidays to one of two 30-minute programs: patriotic or holiday-themed. The renovation reestablished Friendship Park and the fountain as one of Jacksonville?EUR??,,????'???s premier destinations, and all of the essential elements of the site were retained as part of the park?EUR??,,????'???s preservation. The project was truly complete when attendees of the reopening were supplied with nickels to throw into the fountain as a christening. The redesign added much needed green space to the area, and opportunities for workers, residents and visitors to congregate and rediscover the assets of the Southbank Riverwalk and St. Johns River.

When the three new turbine pumps run at maximum capacity, they spray 22,000 gallons of water. The fountain has 59 water nozzles ?EUR??,,????'??? 32 in the outer ring, 18 in the middle ring and nine in the center.

Project Team
Architect of Record: Sam E. Mousa, P.E.
JBC Planning and Engineering, Inc.
Client/Owner: Paul Crawford, R.L.A., ASLA, Acting Executive Director
Jacksonville Economic Development Commission
Fountain Renovations: Wayne C. Kelly, P.E.
M.V. Cumming Engineers, Inc.
General Contractor: Marty Bryant; AC General, Inc.
Lighting Design: Ryan D. Fryman, P.E.
TLC Engineering for Architecture, Inc.
Project Manager: Eric Lindstrom, Redevelopment Manager
Jacksonville Economic Development Commission
Site Design, Hardscape, Landscape Architecture, Irrigation:
Chris Flagg, R.L.A., ASLA, President
Flagg Design Studio, LLC

Vendors
Concrete Sidewalks: Stone Age Pavers, Jacksonville, FL
Landscape: B&L Landscape, Jacksonville, FL
Irrigation System: Rain Bird
Lighting and Controls: Delta Fountains, Jacksonville, FL
Manufacturer: Eaton Corp Variable Frequency Pump Drives, Fayetteville, NC
Park Lighting:
Fixtures: Architectural Area Lighting, City of Industry, CA
Kim Lighting, City of Industry, CA
Pylon Lighting: Pixel Range, Knoxville, TN
Tables and Benches:
Manufacturer: Dumor Site Furnishings, Mifflintown, PA
Vertical Turbine Pumps:
Manufacturer: Sulzer Pumps, Houston, TX