The cost to replace the International Charles Brooks Peace Fountain has gone up again.
The cost to design and install a replacement floating fountain now sits at $10,500,000. An additional $160,000 is needed annually for maintenance, operations and winterization costs. The original estimate to replace the fountain was $8.1 million.
Council will be asked to approve the costs at Monday's council meeting.
"The peace fountain is one of those iconic features that I think everyone appreciates in the City of Windsor. But I take the point that this is a particularly challenging year," said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens.
The City of Windsor could be looking at a 7.37 per cent budget increase in 2025.
"This really doesn't increase the operating budget at all. We're using the same funding on the operating side. This is more on the capital side and that will be a question in terms of priority of what council wants to see happen," said Dilkens.
The original Peace Fountain was installed in 1978. It was removed from the Detroit River for the last time in 2023. Council made the decision because of the fountain's aging parts that were expensive to repair.