New public art has replaced the funicular on First Street
The replacement for the failed First Street funicular - a collection of assorted box-like creations - will have its debut soon. The River City Company plans to soon take down the fences at "The Scramble" and young and old alike can explore the boxes and take a rest there.
A sign has been erected noting that the area is unsupervised and those who visit do so at their own risk.
$1.5 million was spent on the project, including the public art by noted architect Mike Singer.
The city supplied $800,000 with the rest coming from foundations.
At the same time, vehicular traffic will again be allowed on the steep First Street leading down toward the Aquarium.
At the top of the hill by the popular Walnut Street Bridge a new plaza is almost finished and work has started on the walls of the Ed Johnson Memorial by the bridge.
Still missing is the equally popular High Four Dog, who greeted visitors by the bridge with an outstretched paw. River City officials said the dog is in storage, and the city Public Art group will decide where he will be placed.
The funicular was installed in 2005 as a kind of miniature Incline Railway, but it seldom worked and eventually was closed and sold. The trough where it was located was filled in as part of the project.
Michael Singer