Cultural Fountain Installation Updates

The fabrication and installation of the Across the Bridge commemorative drinking fountain was originally scheduled to happen simultaneously with the construction of the Downtown Riverfront Park. While we were able to successfully add a concrete base and plumbing stub-outs for the work, the City has had a difficult time engaging with a qualified art fabricator to complete the work. We are finally now under contract with a Seattle-based firm who’s ready to finish the detailed design work needed for fabrication and expect that the installation should be complete sometime later in 2025.

The design for the fountain was originally reviewed and approved by a focus group of Black Eugeneans who included the late Miss Lyllye Reynolds and her sister Dolores. They were joined by other local black leaders and historians to help shape the design and review the language used in the story of the Across the Bridge Community on the piece. These meetings occurred in 2019 ahead of the construction of the park and before the death of George Floyd and the associated social justice reckoning across the United States. As a result of ongoing review, and additional thoughtful feedback from the Black Community over time, the language on the fountain was continually updated to reflect a truer rendition of the Across the Bridge Story and more clearly deliver the message of welcome and unity. You can review the most recent verbiage and the fountain concept here.