JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Fans on either side of the Florida-Georgia battle had one headache in common Saturday – getting out of the parking lot. Fortunately, they were treated to a show while they waited.
The Friendship Fountain lit up the night sky red and blue for the big game.
It won't open for a few more months, but fans got a sneak peek at what the fountain will be able to do while they drove home.
“A couple of years ago, before COVID, it was still running," said Fahim Naziri while he watched the fountain's test run. "We liked it. We came here as a family.”
The Friendship Fountain has been under construction for so long, Naziri was worried it may never open again.
Then, walking down the riverwalk, he was surprised to suddenly see it lighting up the night sky.
“There is not a lot of entertainment for children, so it’s the first time they’ve had something open here, and we really enjoy that," said Naziri.
The Friendship Fountain’s construction was supposed to start in March 2020, but the coronavirus interrupted it before it even got started.
The fountain was supposed to be open by May of this year, however, Build Up Downtown told First Coast News delays with the sound system pushed that opening to July.
Three months later, and the construction fence is still up.
“It’s gone so long under construction, that now you just kind of see it for that, which is unfortunate, but I’m still super excited about it for once it is done," said Jacksonville District 5 City Councilman Joe Carlucci.
Carlucci says supply delays have pushed the opening some more.
Carlucci says it’s now slated to open early 2024.
“My kids will still be young by the time it’s done," said Carlucci. "They’re not going to be in college or anything, so we’ll still be able to take them out there and have a good time there.”
The fountain used to have a few rows of stationary pumps, but the new and improved fountain features moving streams with a variety of colors synchronized to music.
One thing missing from its test run Saturday was a projector that'll be installed to play images on the mist.
The fountain was supposed to open with a brand new play area along with it, but construction hasn’t even started on that because of supply delays.
So, they’ll open the fountain first, and start on that after.