By Tessa Sutherland | March 29, 2021
As if remote learning and the pandemic weren’t enough, the university’s iconic fountain has sprung a few leaks and will not be turned on this semester.
Usually, the fountain, which is a popular student hang out in warm weather, is turned on around the second week of April when the weather warms.
“The leaks appear to be significant, and it would not be responsible to fill the fountain until we discover their source and what it will take to repair them,” said UAlbany Director of Media and Community Relations Jordan Carleo-Evangelist. “The first priority is to ensure the leaks do not damage the Podium. The University also pays for the water used in the fountain, so allowing it to leak unchecked would be fiscally irresponsible.”
The source of these leaks will be investigated over the summer. It is unknown when the fountain will be able to be turned back on until the extensiveness of the necessary repairs is assessed, he said.
To replace the temporary loss of the fountain, the university is working on other concepts to replace the temporary loss of the fountain including augmented night lighting, exploring graphics, additional psychically distanced seating and plantings to liven up the campus as the warmer months approach.
“Some of these new features are being planned with the intent that they will be reusable in the future to help create visual warmth and activity around the fountain during the colder months when it is normally turned off, winterized and rather barren,” said Carleo-Evangelist. “That would be a positive thing to emerge from this otherwise bummer of a development.”