$62 million down the drain...
...er, drains. Well, except the drains are clogged up:
Art was the crowning glory of the city-financed Cotswold Project, a $62 million effort to transform a drab section of downtown Houston into a dazzling destination for residents and visitors. But less than a decade after dozens of fountains and artworks were installed, many have fallen victim to tight budgets and vandals.
Meanwhile, plans to restore five Texas Avenue sidewalk mosaics damaged or destroyed during street construction came to a halt when money allocated for the project was spent elsewhere. Although an arts group now is weighing options for restoring the mosaics, the question of how to fund such efforts is unresolved.
A recent stroll through blocks remade in the Cotswold Project revealed at least three of 12 fountains malfunctioning or not operating. Some were choked with leaves and debris or caked with calcium deposits.
But don't worry, the city's on top of it now:
The city’s Convention and Entertainment Facilities Department was assigned responsibility to maintain the Cotswold fountains, spending about $150,000 annually to carry out the task.
After a tour of the fountains Thursday, department spokesman John Harris said two workers, rather than one, will be assigned their upkeep.
Problem solved!
As for the restoration of the mosaics, the money that had been set aside for that was instead used to upgrade sidewalks where future METRO passenger platforms will be located. Maybe someone can ask METRO to open its wallet and fix the mosaics, especially since our local transit agency is on an art kick now.
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 01/31/09 04:34 PM | Print |
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