Friends of Garfield Park on April 22 presented the board with progress on a multi-year restoration of the Sunken Garden fountains at Garfield Park, describing a full rebuild of the fountain vaults and systems and a continuing fundraising campaign to secure long-term maintenance funds.

Libby Heiple, executive director of Friends of Garfield Park, said the project team had dismantled the three fountain basins, excavated and resized the vault that houses pumps and control systems and is reinstalling new pumping, lighting and sequencing systems to restore dancing water and color effects. She told the board the friends group is still raising funds to secure perpetual maintenance, describing a capital campaign goal of roughly $575,000 to provide ongoing opening/closing and emergency support for fountain systems.

"Our goal with this project is that the actual project ... we want this project to be done right, and we want it to be maintained forever," Heiple said. Project manager Scott Schadgivert of Smock Fansler said much of the work is underground and that the restoration is being executed "as if we're building a brand new facility," with new vaults, upgraded electrical service and backup systems.

The presentation highlighted preservation work to maintain historic character: the team offered multiple concrete samples intended to match original step and stair textures and said they are re-creating historic finishes where basins and steps were removed. The friends said roughly $2.5 million has been allocated to fountain work, with most of that funding reserved for the three fountains and their vaults and systems. The Friends of Garfield Park are continuing a capital campaign to raise the maintenance endowment so the restored fountain can be operated and preserved over time.

Board members and staff emphasized the importance of funding maintenance as well as capital costs. A board advisor noted the conservatory plaza and fountain are signature elements of the park system and praised efforts to preserve the George Kessler-era features. The friends said they also installed a dedicated power source so fountain systems will not rely on the conservatory's existing electrical service.

The presentation concluded with a request for continued advocacy and potential introductions to funders; the Friends said they will return with additional fundraising updates and next steps for long-term maintenance planning.