Detroit Begins Restoration Project On Hart Plaza's Dodge Fountain

DETROIT — Preparations to restore the historic Dodge Fountain in Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit began Tuesday, according to city officials.

The fountain's upgrade is the centerpiece of a $9 million project to upgrade Hart Plaza, which will also include removing metal panels from the fountain’s dome and repairing jets, lighting and plumbing before reassembling the structure, officials said.

Officials said the upgrades should be completed by next spring. The funding is coming from the American Rescue Plan Act, a COVID-19 relief bill passed in 2021.

"Restoring the iconic fountain and revitalizing this historic space is not just about bricks and mortar; it's about preserving our heritage, honoring our past, and embracing a vibrant future," Executive Director of the City of Detroit Construction and Demolition Department LaJuan Counts said. "We are immensely proud of this opportunity, and the responsibility bestowed upon us by Mayor Duggan is both an honor and a testament to the faith in our community."

Hart Plaza opened in 1975 and can hold 40,000 people. It hosts major events in the City of Detroit, including several music festivals.

"(Hart Plaza) is a place that has drawn people from all over the world. But more specifically, Detroiters have used this as their touchstone here at Hart Plaza," President of Detroit-Based Total Access Events Phil Talbert said. "This is where people meet. You don’t say, ‘Meet me at the corner of Jefferson and Woodward,’ you say meet me at the Hart Plaza fountain. Young people have played here, people have been married here, people have been engaged here."