Vaillancourt Fountain at San Francisco Embarcadero Plaza will be removed
By Amanda Hari
The San Francisco Arts Commission on Monday voted in favor of removing the Vaillancourt Fountain, which has been in the Embarcadero since the 1970s.
It passed with eight votes in favor and five no votes.
In 2024, San Francisco Recreation and Parks announced the Embarcadero Plaza Renovation Project, which would tear down the structure for a new waterfront park.
Then, this summer, a city report concluded it had asbestos, lead and was not ADA-compliant, and it stated that the fountain’s crumbling condition was a public safety issue. According to San Francisco Recreation and Parks, it’ll cost about $2.68 million to remove but about $29 million to renovate.
“The piece is going to exist in a certain form,” Alexis Vaillancourt. “I don’t think it’s finished.”
His father, Armand Vaillancourt finished the sculpture in 1971. It used to circulate tons of water, but the 710-pound structure no longer functions. Although Alexis Vaillancourt grew up in Quebec, he said he felt like he would see the fountain all the time.
“Of course, in all the skateboard videos, because I used to skate a lot, so I grew up with that,” he said.
The fountain was fenced off in June, but Eoanna Goodwin with Rec and Parks said efforts to keep people off it have been unsuccessful.
“Despite these protective measures, the fencing and mesh screens have been repeatedly breached, and individuals continue to enter the fenced-off area and even sleep within the concrete tubes,” said Goodwin.
The artist’s granddaughter, Chanel Vaillancourt, spoke to CBS News Bay Area about what the fountain means to her.
“Knowing something so special was created by my grandfather felt so inspiring as a kid,” Chanel recalled. “It’s a vital piece of public art not only enhancing the cultural landscape of San Francisco but also symbolizing the resilience of my family.”
Alexis Vaillancourt said his family is still talking with their lawyers to find a different solution. He said the discourse surrounding the fountain, now and throughout the years, is part of what makes it so special.
“It’s rare that a monument or a sculpture or a piece of art makes people talk so much,” Alexis said. “The debate that is happening right now is incredible.”
Once removed, the fountain will be stored, and the extent of its deterioration will be investigated. What will happen to it after that is not yet decided, with restoration, repurposing or repair being a few of the possibilities mentioned at the commission’s meeting.
