Amid budget deficit, Tacoma spends thousands to revive decorative fountains
The city of Tacoma is spending thousands of dollars to revive a number of fountains around downtown.
Four city-managed fountains dot the downtown area, according to city spokesperson Maria Lee: Frost Park fountain, South 11th and Broadway fountain, the Tollefson Plaza fountain and the McCormick Park fountain. All four have been around for decades, and they’ve slowly gone out of service in recent years due to equipment failure and leaks, she said.
Despite the city’s ongoing budget deficit – which officials have forecast to be in the realm of $15 million for the 2027-2028 budget – the city has worked to restore the Frost Park fountain and the South 11th and Broadway fountain, Lee said. Both came back online last month. Shortly after, the city announced that it is renewing a freeze on hiring and promotions in an effort to save around $5 million.
Lee said the city planned to restore the fountains over a year ago and set aside funding for the repairs when it was developing the 2025-2026 budget.
“We recognize that vibrant, well-maintained public spaces are essential to our community, and getting these fountains running again reflects our ongoing commitment to the beauty and vitality of downtown Tacoma,” Lee wrote to The News Tribune.
The city spent $60,000 to revive the Frost Park fountain, and $65,000 to revive the South 11th and Broadway fountain, Lee said. Annual maintenance for both fountains will cost the city about $35,000 each, and the city this summer plans to spend $115,000 on additional repairs to Frost Park and $100,000 on additional repairs to South 11th and Broadway.
The Frost Park fountain, Lee said, had been out of service since 2020 and the South 11th and Broadway fountain had been out of service in 2022. The city has so far spent $17,000 on plumbing repairs to the Tollefson Plaza fountain after it went out of service earlier this month, and the city’s public works department is assessing the problems with it.
Lee said the department is evaluating the work it needs to do on the McCormick Park Fountain, which has been out of service since 2016 due to the “significant” equipment and structural replacements it needs.
