Fountain will flow again after six-year dry spell
BIRMINGHAM’S iconic “Floozie in the Jacuzzi” fountain is set to flow again – after a sixyear dry spell.
The fountain, actually named The River but dubbed the “Floozie” by locals, was opened to great fanfare in 1993.
So prestigious was the project that it was unveiled by Diana, Princess of Wales.
Designed by sculptor Dhruva Mistry, it cost £3.5 million and was hailed as a jewel in Brum’s crown.
But the statue was dogged by leaks and a never-ending flood of costly repairs. The Victoria Square landmark was subsequently turned off in 2013 – and transformed into an elaborate flower display two years after.
Now, the “Floozie” is set to return to the city centre in all her watery glory after the Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market leaves the city.
The money to get the fountain flowing again has been secured by the West Midlands Combined Authority from the Government’s £1.7 billion Transforming Cities Fund. Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward, who had long held the “ambition” to turn the tap back on, is delighted by the news.
Back in November last year, he had warned: “If you see the improvements taking place in Centenary Square, Paradise and Chamberlain Square, what is rapidly becoming apparent is that other parts of the public realm in the city centre are going out.
“So this money is very, very much to be welcomed in order that we can continue to upgrade the public realm here in Birmingham, in particular Victoria Square, where we have had to decommission the artwork at the heart of the square, The River fountain. Getting that back into working order is very much an ambition for the city.”
Around £300,000 was spent on restoring the landmark in 2000, while more repairs cost £70,000 in 2009 and then another £40,000 three years later.
Testing work was carried out in the months after the water was turned off and a feasibility study on getting it working again was called for.
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