Not again! $330k set aside for Goodale Park Fountain repair

Sure, the dancing baby elephants that sit atop the fountain in Goodale Park are cute as heck. But, that doesn’t change the fact that the fountain itself has been nothing but trouble from day one.

First, installation of the new fountain in 2012 caused a major leak in the pond. The city shelled out $144,600 in an ill-fated attempt to remedy the issue.

The Friends of Goodale Park then spent another $8,500 to install a rubberized lining around the base of the fountain, which finally plugged the leak once and for all.

Now, Columbus City Council has approved another $330,000 in funds for additional repairs to the fountain, which has been broken since 2017.

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The issue that this new round of funding hopes to address has to do with the fountain’s water pumps, which propel water from the elephant sculptures’ trunks when functioning properly.

The old pumps, which were installed under the surface of the pond water, have broken down and proven difficult to repair and maintain. With this new funding, the existing pump system would be replaced with a new one, which would be installed outside the pond.

Will this new (and very costly) pump system do the trick? If history is any indication, we’ll hold our predictions until the elephants are spewing a steady stream from their adorable little trunks.

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