Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
The new Vortex lighted fountain and splash pad is demonstrated at the Downtown City Square project on Monday, as observed by city of Ironwood officials, from left, Bob Richards, public works supervisor; Tom Bergman, director of community development; Paul Anderson; Coleman Engineering; and Scott Erickson, city manager, who is talking with Trevor Monroe, of the Vortex office in Lansing, who conducted an operations and maintenance training for public works crew members at right.
By TOM LAVENTURE
Ironwood - Components of the Downtown City Square project are taking shape this week including the fountain-splash pad, pergola and bandshell canopy.
Department of Public Works personnel of the city of Ironwood were on site Monday to receive training on the Vortex fountain-splash pad water jets and lighting. The digital system allows for programming 16 water jets and LED lighting in white, blue, green and red.
There are two outside directional jets that arc and the rest shoot straight up to catch as much light as possible and to create different effects, said Trevor Monroe, of American Rec Service, who is also a subcontractor for the Montreal, Canada-based Vortex at their Lansing office. The LED lighting has color sequences that change to different colors as the spraying features change.
"You can have a big blue waterfall or a big green waterfall," Monroe said.
It's essentially a lighted fountain that doubles as a splash pad. The splash pad area is handicap accessible so that someone with a wheelchair can roll right in there, he said.
"It's a good time for small kids because there is not too much water and all of our sprays are low (pressure)," Monroe said. "Really, what's nice about this is that all ages can enjoy it, from the young to the old."
This is what was planned for and what was expected but it is still good to see it in place and functioning, said Tom Bergman, director of community development for the city of Ironwood. He attended the on-site training with Monroe, along city manager Scott Erickson, Bob Richards, city public works supervisor, and members of his crew.
"I don't know if we're going to have it operational this year or not,"Bergman said of the splash pad. "By the time it's all done, we'll be winterizing everything."
Other noticeable changes occurring this week and next week include installation of the pergola structure and the bandshell canopy structure, he said. The final touches to the underground irrigation system are almost done and that will be followed by landscaping and laying sod.
"It's going to really look like something, even by the end of this week, but for sure by the end of next week," Bergman said. "Will it be 100% completed, probably not. There will still be a few things to wrap up but it will look like a city square."
The goal to be completed by the end of September was pushed ahead with unanticipated work removing an old foundation from a former hotel and some weather, he said. The goal is now to be completed by early October.
There will definitely be an enjoyable space ready for the public for October and November, he said. For wintertime use, the outdoor gas fireplace will be available but the ice rink may not open this year to let the concrete settle for the first year.
"We are having that discussion now," Bergman said.
The splash pad is a highlight of the $1.47 million project, said Scott Erickson, city manager. It was intentionally designed to serve as a fountain and a water recreation feature.
"It is a fountain that shoots water in the air and it has lights," Erickson said. "It's an aesthetic but it can also be used as a splash pad."
The work is a signal that the construction has moved from the underground work of the first few months, to the above ground work. This past week the tree and shrub planting started with workers from Down to Earth Landscapes, Inc., of Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin.
The greenery includes tree varieties such as Swiss stone pine, columnar White Pine, maple and birch, according to Bob Anderson, owner of Down to Earth Landscapes. There are also Eastern red cedar shrubs, switchgrass, prairie dropseed and other varieties of plants, he said.
"It's a lot nicer than a parking lot," Anderson said.
The city square project started earlier this summer when workers broke ground to convert a former parking lot bordered by Aurora and Lowell streets and McLeod Avenue. The park is intended to be an all-year community space that will attract more people to the downtown and to the city.
When completed the city square will have green space, an amphitheater for music and outdoor theater, a splash pad and fountain, sidewalks that can be converted for ice skating, a food truck and vendor area, an outdoor fireplace, solar and environmental features, outdoor seating, benches and tables.
The $1.47 million project was funded through Community Development Block Grant dollars from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The city's $191,850 portion was used for land acquisition, lighting projects on city business routes and to pay for a CDBG certified grant administrator.
