The Naperville Exchange Club and members of the Fredenhagen family say they’re open to redesigning the fountain in downtown Fredenhagen Park rather than having the city spend $400,000 to fix it.
Operational issues shut down the Exchange Club Memories Fountain in 2021. It’s the centerpiece of the park built on Washington Street next to the Naperville Riverwalk.
A consultant’s assessment said the waterproofing membrane was compromised and needs to be removed and replaced. In addition, the vault containing the water feature’s controls requires several safety upgrades, and there’s a leaking pipe just outside of it.
If it were repaired, the city also would replace the fountain lights with a more energy-efficient system.
While the estimated $400,000 cost for the fountain restoration was included in the city’s list of 2023 capital improvement projects, city officials, Naperville Park District staff and Naperville Riverwalk commissioners raised questions about the operational challenges, the useful life of the foundation and potential future expenses the fountain might require.
Instead of paying for the repairs, alternatives to the fountain are being discussed, including a permanent or rotating sculpture, a landscaped garden, lighting, a less complicated water element or a combination of the ideas.
Fredenhagen Park opened in November 2003 on a 1.1-acre site donated by Ted Fredenhagen and Rita Harvard, the children of Walter and Grace Fredenhagen.
Walter Fredenhagen was the founder of the Cock Robin ice cream parlor chain, one of which once stood on that spot for nearly 70 years.
The park’s centerpiece — the Exchange Club Memories Fountain — was funded by the sale of granite stones and bricks with engraved messages.
Because of their involvement in the creation of the park, members of the Exchange Club and Fredenhagen family were consulted on the fountain’s restoration.
At an April 4 meeting with Naperville Riverwalk Commission members, Exchange Club President Trish Krenick said her group is open to design alternatives that respect the club’s mission of preventing child abuse and promoting Americanism, community service and youth programs.
Any changes, she said, also need to respect the fountain’s donors, many of whom recognized deceased friends and family with the stones and bricks they purchased.
In an April 20 meeting, Tom Castagnoli, a representative of the Fredenhagen family, said they would entertain designs with landscaping and/or a less complicated water feature.
To assist in the process, participants at the meetings suggested enlisting community partners like the Naperville Art League or Century Walk, hosting a juried art competition and engaging broader community participation.
The next steps would be to determine who is involved in the design process and setting a timeline.
The Riverwalk Commission has said no work — either restoration or new construction — likely would take place until late 2023 or 2024.
