Troy nixes water feature for Prouty Plaza redesign

Prouty Plaza in downtown Troy. A water feature proposed as part of the redesign of Prouty Plaza on Troy’s Public Square was removed from the design contract approved Aug. 4 by Troy City Council. STAFF

Prouty Plaza in downtown Troy. A water feature proposed as part of the redesign of Prouty Plaza on Troy’s Public Square was removed from the design contract approved Aug. 4 by Troy City Council. STAFF

A water feature proposed as part of the redesign of Prouty Plaza on Troy’s Public Square was removed from the design contract approved Aug. 4 by Troy City Council.

The plaza design was part of the overall Downtown Safety and Streetscape project that will take place on Main Street between Cherry and Mulberry streets, on Market Street between Franklin and Water streets and around the Public Square.

The project carries a cost estimate of more than $10 million. The project will include multiple safety, structural and design upgrades to the downtown, including utilities, sidewalk, curb, pavement and aesthetic improvements. Replacement of water, storm sewer and other utilities will take place in late 2025. The actual streetscape elements construction will not begin before fall 2026.

The Prouty Plaza update is estimated at a cost of $1 million to $1.5 million. The proposed water feature was estimated to cost around $100,000 and was proposed as a group of at-ground grade jets, not a full fountain.

Council had met in several committee meetings this year to discuss the plaza and then the water feature specifically. Some council members and residents said they didn’t think the plaza was the proper location for a water feature. Some voiced support for a larger splash pad type facility at one of the city’s larger parks. Whether a splash pad will be included in future park plans has not been determined.

In the end, council members talked one-on-one days before the vote and notified Patrick Titterington, service and safety director, and Grant Kerber, city law director, of the desire to remove the feature from the plaza plans. Council supported a motion to remove the plaza from a design contract with LJB before then approving that contract for $165,493.

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