Ringgold Fountain Project Progresses

Design plans for a new fountain at the center circle of Ringgold Park were unveiled at Tuesday night's Eight Streets Neighborhood meeting as well as a plea for corporate donations to help fund the project.

Sean McConnell, an officer of the Friends of Ringgold Park, described a traditional Victorian fountain flanked by granite seating, shade trees and gardens.

"We wanted to give a classy impression," he said of the design, which was produced by Copley Wolff Design Group in partnership with the City of Boston.

The six-foot-tall fountain will sit atop a stone base in the center of what is now a grassy circle. Water will spray upwards and trickle down into the lower basin from April through September, McConnell said. Low wrought iron fencing will surround the area.

The City has allocated $40,000 for the design work and $225,000 for the project's construction and the Edward Ingersoll Brown Fund awarded a $75,000 grant to the project last year. But because of the use of sturdy materials such as wrought iron and granite, the Friends group has been forced to launch a capital campaign in order to execute its vision. The group is hoping to raise $100,000 by the time construction starts in April.

Monies raised will also be used to form a maintenance fund so that the fountain can be properly cared for, McConnell said. The group is hoping for corporate contributions from area businesses.

"It's quite a bit of money we're looking to raise," McConnell acknowledged. "We're not going to get there through bake sales."

The Eight Streets Neighborhood Association has donated $500 to the project, which should be completed next September.

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