Mayor Ron Littlefield said a key feature of the $120 million 21st Century Waterfront that is now closed for repairs was never designed to be a play area.
He said The Passage was meant to be a "reverent and reflective place."
But officials said young and old alike poured into the water basin next to the Market Street Bridge the day it was opened.
The Passage is fenced off while a team of experts try to determine what steps need to be taken to fix pieces of the wall that have come loose as well as electrical problems that could prove a danger to the public.
Mayor Littlefield said if it is determined that The Passage continues to be a play area it will be a more difficult and costly fix.
The Native American-themed attraction includes water that spills down steps into a basin.
One option would be to find a way to cordon off the basin so that the public does not wade in.