SHELBY — Jake Penwell is optimistic the downtown Shelby splash fountain will be fully functional in the near future.
A drainage issue has caused the fountain at Black Fork Commons Plaza to close temporarily.
Penwell, Shelby Community Improvement Corporation president, said the corporation is mindful of the public’s desire to visit and use the downtown water feature, particularly with this week’s heat wave.
“We want people to be able to be down there and we know that people are itching to be down there,” he said.
“As soon as we can have (the fountain) on and running, it’s going to be turned on and it is going to run,” the president said.
The Shelby Community Improvement Corporation announced the problem on May 24 on its Facebook page — stating the issue is “preventing us from using it (the splash fountain).”
“Our team of engineers and designers are addressing the matter and are confident the fountain will be on and flowing soon,” the Shelby CIC wrote on Facebook.
Penwell said work is being done to the fountain that will allow it to run the way it was intended.
“In any project that we build, we get through some things and your like ‘OK, that worked the way I intended,’ and sometimes it’s ‘I think we can make some updates to make that more efficient,'” he said.
“That’s really where this is. We needed to make sure that it was doing what we intended and just getting it fixed,” Penwell said.
Continued updates will be posted by the Shelby CIC on its Facebook page, he said.
Fountain update began Tuesday
Shelby Project Coordinator Joe Gies said when the fountain was running, water was “getting away” from the drains.
With local temperatures rising, he said the goal is to address the issue as quickly as possible — adding he met with a contractor at the fountain Monday afternoon.
On Tuesday, updates to the fountain’s drainage system had begun.
Gies said Simonson Construction is installing a trench drain around the fountain’s surface area.
“It was just a lot of water from that little area, so it’ll (water) runoff, go in the drain and then back in the system,” he said. “It’ll make it a lot nicer and work well.”
Penwell, Gies hopeful fountain should be back soon
Once the trench drain is installed, steps will be taken to program the fountain and test the water, ensuring it’s ready for public use.
Both Gies and Penwell said Simonson Construction has been cooperative.
“As soon as we came up with a solution, they were on it,” Penwell said. “Our partners have been helping with getting it corrected.
“It (fountain) gives life to space even if there’s not people there, even though we’re already seeing that people are there all the time and this will bring more. It’s a good thing, I think it’s also pulling people there, too,” he said.
Gies said there’s currently no estimated date for when the fountain will be open for public use, but hopes it’s “sooner than later.”
Gies and Penwell both said no costs from work on the fountain will be charged to the Shelby CIC or City of Shelby.
Simonson Construction is covering construction costs and will discuss final payment with the fountain’s designer, The EDGE Group, at a later date, Gies said.
Black Fork Commons hosts several community events
Black Fork Commons Plaza opened in downtown Shelby on Oct. 25, 2023.
The commons plaza includes the splash fountain, an amphitheater, walking paths, patio seating, an indoor/outdoor pavilion and a three-season use community fireplace.
Several community events take place at the park, including the Shelby Farmers Market, the “Last Tuesday” concert series and AFM Local 159’s 2024 Summer “Music in the Parks” series.
Shelby Farmers Market will be open from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. The next installment in the “Last Tuesday” concert series, featuring Dave King, is set for June 25 at 6 p.m. Both events take place at Black Fork Commons.
The park is located at 12 W. Main St. near the Black Fork Commons Mercantile and The Well Coffee Shop.
