Arts Commission hears report on Vaillancourt Fountain; staff cite $29 million restoration estimate, no action taken

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Arts Commission on Oct. 6 received an informational report on the Vaillancourt Fountain in Embarcadero Plaza that detailed structural deterioration, hazardous-material hazards and competing options for the work's future. Staff said the item was for information only and no formal action or vote was taken.

The report, delivered by civic art and Recreation and Park staff, summarized independent assessments and three construction estimates: roughly $29,000,000 to fully restore the fountain, about $2,700,000 to remove it, and about $4,400,000 to disassemble and store the work for three years. Recreation and Park staff said there is currently no funding available for a full restoration.

Why it matters: the fountain occupies the center of a planned renovation that would join Sue Bierman Park with Embarcadero Plaza and create a larger, accessible waterfront park. Staff and private developers said a rebuilt, accessible park could activate downtown and support economic recovery, while many preservation advocates, historians and art organizations urged rehabilitation and long-term stewardship of the fountain as a civic art asset.

History and condition

The fountain, a monumental concrete work by Canadian sculptor Armand Vaillancourt completed in 1971, was commissioned as part of the Golden Gateway redevelopment and Halprin's Embarcadero Plaza design. City staff said the artwork consists of 101 precast concrete elements — 64 rising to about 30 feet — cast with structural cores of steel; its systems were originally designed to circulate 30,000 gallons of water per minute.

"The concrete arms show medium to large cracks and spalling ... because the steel inside has rusted and expanded in this marine environment," Johanna Goodwin, project manager for the Recreation and Park Department, told the commission during the presentation. Goodwin said pumps have been inoperable since May 2024 and that the fountain's underground vault is flooded and noncompliant with safe-work standards, creating electrical and confined-space hazards.

Goodwin added the site contains hazardous materials, including lead-containing paint and asbestos-containing materials, and that the fountain was built on unconsolidated fill and bay mud. "Even under ideal conditions ... it still doesn't meet current safety and seismic standards," she said.

Estimates and options

Recreation and Park staff reported they hired Swinerton to prepare an independent, construction-level cost estimate. Staff presented three options with associated estimates: full restoration ($29,000,000), full removal ($2,700,000) and disassembly and storage for three years ($4,400,000). Goodwin said the figures include direct construction costs plus bonds, insurance, contingencies and standard escalation items but do not include staff time, design, permits or ongoing maintenance costs.

Stacy Bradley, manager of capital and planning at Recreation and Park, told commissioners that conversations about private fundraising and public–private partnerships are appropriate given the city's constrained budget. "Yes, I think this is an appropriate conversation to have, about how to deal with the financial realities of this situation," Bradley said.

Artist and stewardship

Staff reported they met with the artist and family in May; the artist and his family told staff they would accept only restoration that returns the fountain to running-water condition and would not accept a substantially altered or partial reconfiguration. "They only wanted to see it with running water," staff said, reporting the artist's response.

Public comment and competing views

More than four hours of public comment followed the staff presentation. Speakers were deeply divided. Preservation advocates, landscape historians and national preservation groups urged rehabilitation and warned that deaccession would represent a loss of cultural heritage. "To deaccession a work that has fallen into disrepair due to citywide deferred maintenance would set a dangerous and costly precedent," said Jack McCarthy, a board member of DOCOMOMO US Northern California.

Other commenters and business representatives supported removing the fountain or relocating it to allow for a new, accessible park designed to draw residents, workers and tourists back downtown. A Rincon Hill resident said: "The choice is to spend $29,000,000 that we don't have on 1 broken sculpture or to create a functional water park that serves San Francisco families like mine." Aaron Fenton, representing BXP — the property owner involved with the plaza renovation — said the fountain was conceived to complement the former Embarcadero Freeway and that without the freeway it is out of context and has become a public-safety liability.

Legal and procedural notes

Speakers referenced legal frameworks that the Arts Commission and city agencies must consider, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Art Preservation Act (CAPA). City attorneys present advised the commission that Oct. 6 was an informational hearing only; any later decision would require additional legal review, environmental review when applicable, and a formal agenda item.

Next steps

Staff said the project remains in planning. Recreation and Park expects at least one more community meeting and said a finalized concept design would be subject to environmental review by the Planning Department and subsequent review or approval by the Recreation and Park Commission. Staff said construction — if funding and approvals are secured — would likely target 2027 for start of work.

No decision was made at the Oct. 6 Arts Commission meeting. Commissioners asked staff to continue outreach, refine cost and scope information, pursue potential fundraising and report back with additional analysis.

Reported figures and clarifications

Restoration estimate: $29,000,000 (construction-level estimate reported by Swinerton). Removal estimate: $2,700,000. Disassembly and storage for three years: $4,400,000. Fountain completed in 1971 at a reported cost of $310,000. Fountain core facts: 101 precast concrete elements; 30-foot maximum element height; original circulation 30,000 gallons per minute; pumps inoperable since May 2024; fenced off since June 2025.

Staff and public urged caution: staff emphasized immediate safety and hazardous-material concerns; preservation advocates urged coordination to identify funding and technical pathways for restoration. The Arts Commission will receive further updates at a future meeting.