An old, out-of-use fountain in Berwyn will be renovated over the coming months to become a permanent fixture in the city, in honor of Berwyn’s centennial which will be celebrated throughout the year.

The fountain, in Mraz Park in the center of the city, was non-operational when the Berwyn Park District received the property in 1994. Having sat unused for at least 14 years, Park District commissioners thought there would be nothing better than to rededicate the fountain as a permanent reminder of this year’s centennial celebration.

“The day after all the parades are over, all the hot dogs are eaten and the flags are taken down, people can always go and look at the fountain to remind them of the centennial,” said Commissioner Frank Amaro. “Let’s take that old fountain that hasn’t been used in many, many years and let’s rededicate it ... as something that will always be there.”

Commissioners and architects will spend the next few months working on the plumbing, electricity and design of the fountain to restore it to its former glory. An architect is drawing up plans for the fountain’s renovation and work is expected to begin within the next month or so, said park district Executive Director Jeff Janda.

The tentative plan is to restore the existing fountain, and add on to it to make it a two-tiered fountain, Janda said. Janda said he also planned to have the landscaping surrounding the fountain redeveloped.

“It’s a great concept and a beautiful fountain ... that will make (the park) a gateway for the rest of the community,” Janda said. “The board is very much wanting to give something meaningful back to the residents, that will be there for many, many years.”

It is planned to be unveiled on or around the date of the city’s centennial anniversary, June 8.

Centennial celebration Chairman Carl Reina said the planning committee has been considering ideas for other permanent memorials, including another fountain or a statue, possibly of the city’s first mayor.

“It’s a great thing and if the centennial gets things like this to happen, I’m all for it,” Reina said. “We want to do something to let people walk away at the end of the centennial with something for them to remember it by.”