TULSA, Okla. — The Swan Lake District will soon get its pond and water fountain back to its classic look.
While it doesn't look like its usual self at the moment, the metal and manpower brought into Swan Lake's once-cherished fountain will soon shower the waterfowl of its neighborhood again.
Tulsa voters secured the $2.2 million needed to repair and rebuild the lake's aeration system through both Improve Our Tulsa measures in 2019 and last year, respectively.
2 News' Samson Tamijani visited the area on weekday to talk to people who use the park.
Lauren Tavaglione visits the park during her lunch break every workday and is excited about the project.
"It's a beautiful (place). I mean, yeah, with the construction, it’s made it a little bit messier, but it’s been nice still,” Tavaglione said.
Swan Lake District resident Pam Saint Claire remembers its glory days before the city deemed the Great Depression-era fountain was deemed a lost cause in 2001.
"(Now) we are also hoping that the lake could return back to being a proper habitat that would include the swans," Saint Claire said.
Photos from the Tulsa Historical Society & Museum show what neighbors enjoyed about Swan Lake, even seeing actual swans.
Mayor G.T. Bynum told 2 News he visited on school field trips growing up.
"And then the fountain broke and it still didn't take away from the beautiful pond that's there. But as Mayor, coming to the end of my term, I started thinking about, 'Well, what are things if I get out of here 10 years from now? I'm going to kick myself if I didn't get this fixed?'" Bynum said.
The mayor said the lake and surrounding park, which have remained unfixed for the last generation, cast a shadow on the city's reputation.
"If the city is allowing it to become run down and never fixing something that's as historically significant as that fountain is, then why should they trust us on bigger issues?" he said.
It'll take draining the water and maybe some landscaping, but city expects the pond to reemerge with a new fountain running before November 2024, that's before the end of Bynum's term.
The completion will be a welcome sight to the neighborhood, Saint Claire said, but only if its namesake can return too, with surfaces without rocks next to the water to prevent infections that injured the swans that used to call the lake home.
"And then that would help provide a better area for the swans to be able to enter and exit the water," Saint Claire added.
According to the city, once inflatable coffer dams are set, the contractor can drain the water from around the fountain to the other areas of the lake that are remaining in place:
- Once the water is drained from the construction area, the contractor will muck out the wet soils and place base material inside the coffer dam area. This work is scheduled to be completed by the end of April 2024.
- After the base material is placed on the bottom of the construction area, the fountain will be demolished and removed from the site, making the site ready for the construction of the new fountain and fountain systems.
- The construction of the building pad and installation of foundations/footings for the fountain are scheduled to begin in early May 2024 and will be completed in early July 2024.
- The construction of the fountain, pump equipment, and piping is to begin in July 2024 and be completed by the end of October 2024. The fountain is scheduled to have its start-up with any adjustments by November 1, 2024.
- The contractor will perform construction close-out, removal of the coffer dams and clean up of the site after the fountain start-up and concluding prior to Thanksgiving 2024
All dates are tentative, the city said.
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