“Shepherding the restoration phase of the capital campaign to completion has been a labor of love. Thanks to our many partners, this vibrant community asset will be open for all to enjoy in 2026. The garden and fountains are going to look spectacular; I cannot wait!“

-Jan Lesniak, FOGP Vice-President and Capital Campaign Chair

Donor Recognition Plaque Coming to the Sunken Garden

Spring marks the completion of phase one – fountain restoration. If you were able to make a gift to the reconstruction, we thank you for your support and commitment to recreating memorable experiences for Garfield Park.

When the fountains turn on, the Friends will kick off phase two— fountain preservation. Phase two is a crucial piece to the sustainability of the fountains, and fundraising to ensure they remain a vibrant centerpiece for Garfield Park through quality care is the main focus.

To demonstrate our appreciation, the Friends are installing a plaque in the Sunken Garden to thank donors who have contributed a minimum of $1,000 to the campaign – phase one AND/OR phase two.

Let’s go back in time to reiterate the problems that needed to be addressed:

• Lack of connection of the fountain filtration backwash to a sanitary sewer limited treatment of the hard water.
• Hard water impact on fountain components caused frequent equipment failures and costly component replacements.
• Treatment chemicals were manually applied and did not maintain consistent water quality.
• Retrofitted lights resulted in leaked voltage and tripped circuit breakers.
• Broken or malfunctioning wind and water level sensors made it difficult to regulate fountain spray levels.
• Inconsistent signal communication over the lengthy distance between the sensors, the control panel located in the Conservatory, and the controls at the fountains affected reliable operation.
• Leaky conduits and conduits containing both power and control lines resulted in water penetrating the filter and control vaults and bad signal communication.
• Deterioration of the fountain basins affected appearance and safety.

A complete overhaul of the fountains was required to correct these issues, and now we are so close to total completion of construction. But, we can’t stop there!

Focusing our attention to grow the fountain preservation fund is a must. Our goal is to raise $1M to ensure the fountains remain flowing for all to enjoy! It costs upwards of $40,000 annually to keep the fountains in working order – a preservation fund will allow the Friends to pay these operating costs while still having cash on hand to pay for unexpected mechanical failures should those occur in the future.

Thank you for helping preserve this Garfield Park treasure! *Special thanks to our friend Sherman Cahal for capturing the drone images. More photos from the concrete efforts can be viewed on the Friends of Garfield Park Facebook page.