by Monica Tsai
Staff Writer
With Sadaam Hussein behind bars, the world breathed a sigh of relief. Still, the aftermath of terrorism is being felt right in our own back yard. One of the most recent examples is the Springfield museum in Waterworks Park.
Due to post-Sept. 11 security issues, the JEA Waterworks Museum will no longer be built. Plans for the visitor’s center on North Main Street are all that remain from the original sketches formulated a few years ago.
“We have been going through the process of reorganization in the company,” said Jane Upton, JEA’s director of brand management. “JEA has been realigning their processes to be more efficient, combining similar processes and consolidating all of our laboratory services for water testing. At the same time, we were looking at renovating this site due to its historical value.”
Originally, the idea was for guests to walk through the buildings with the museum to be situated where the water plant and laboratory are now.
“They still can view the pump from a window to the inside, but there will be no ingress for the public,” said Upton.
Despite the deviation from the initial plan, JEA officials still intend to provide outreach programs that educate community or school groups about conservation and safety issues. The center is designed with a stage area to host orientations, presentations, seminars, meetings, or even company training, for up to 80 people.
Adjacent to this area inside the center will be the artifacts room with exhibits incorporating the historical memorabilia from Springfield and scientific relics from JEA.
In the center of the building will be a gift shop. Outside in the courtyard there will be water sculptures and interactive outdoor displays that provide background information to visitors.
“If the timing is planned right, we can have as many as 200 [visitors at a time],” said Rob Hoenshel, a principal with PQH Architects.
Built in 1880, the vintage steam engine water pumping station has recently been restored in order to remain operational and to accommodate the consolidation of other facilities onto that site. According to the architect, today’s technology allows this neighboring facility to pump eight million gallons of water daily.
“Big Allis [the name of the pump] is symbolic of the regeneration of the area,” said community activist Rita Reagan, a Springfield Preservation and Restoration Council board member. “The center is not meant to compete with MOSH. It is tailored to Springfield and JEA history.”
SPAR hopes to contract with JEA to manage the premises. That partnership is pending.
“They have the volunteers,” said Upton. “They are more prepared to deliver that piece of it and can better engage the community’s interest. Museums are not our expertise. It is an opportunity to cut costs but still produce a better end product.”
An advisory committee will select items to rotate in and out of exhibits and SPAR Council docents will script curriculum for the educational components.
The main structure, the JEA Visitors Center, was recreated from the original blueprints of the water pump. As a result, the adjacent buildings mirror each other in brick color and architectural style.
Construction on the 6,000 square feet visitor’s center is skipping along and is expected to be complete by the middle of February. On-site parking for an estimated 44 vehicles will wrap up the work, allowing the center to open for business by the spring.
“It is highly unlikely that we would [construct a museum] somewhere else unless [this plant is longer used] as an operational facility,” added Upton.