What will the new fountain in the Central West End have in common with the Fountains of Bellagio at the hotel and casino in Las Vegas? Water, of course, is the obvious answer. But they also share Sun Valley, Calif.-based WET Design.

Watching the mighty Mississippi River flow by affords St. Louisans a sense of inner peace and awe. And, after awhile, most fountains possess all of the appeal of a dripping faucet. But WET Design, which has done projects around the world, creates water expressions. WET, in the firm’s case, stands for Water Entertainment Technology. You say ho-hum fountain. WET Design says water feature.

Whereas the former 30-year-old concrete fountain that sat on Maryland Plaza was a pleasant landmark, the new water feature will be more of a show, drawing people to the neighborhood and allowing them to linger at fountainside, WET Design project designer Patty Lundeen said last week.

Construction began on the new fountain in late July and was expected to take 60 to 90 days, with programming of the fountain’s computerized choreography set for September. Look for an official unveiling in October.

“Water features in the contemporary urban environment work by creating an identifying focal point for a neighborhood, by creating a place for people to come together, by adding a dynamic sensory experience and by creating new opportunities for recreation and play,” Lundeen said.

“A water feature in an urban environment can really become the heart of a neighborhood,” she added.

Exciting street life is just what Edward “Ted” J. Koplar, whose father put in the original fountain, is hoping for. Koplar is overseeing a $20 million retail, office and entertainment redevelopment of Maryland Plaza, between Euclid and Kingshighway. St. Louis approved $3.8 million in tax increment financing for public improvements for the project.

When Koplar approached WET Design about a year and a half ago, he set two conditions for the new fountain: one, that the new fountain be more attraction than just a landmark; and two, that it be pedestrian-friendly. The old fountain was not accessible to the public unless you crossed the street to get to it - and not too many folks did that.

“We had a fountain there,” Koplar said. “But we wanted something that was right for the neighborhood yet can become a magnet to help bring people into the Central West End.”

Enter WET Design.

The Maryland Plaza water feature won’t be on the showy scale of the eight-acre Bellagio fountains where water dances to music and lights. The new plaza fountain will go with the CWE flow—entertaining but showy on a smaller scale.

First, WET Design put the “plaza” into Maryland Plaza. The old fountain sat in a traffic circle. It has been moved a few feet to create a true plaza along the south sidewalk. The plaza bulges a bit into the roadway.

Second, the 6,000 gallons of water flowing and filtered through the water feature’s 25-foot-diameter basin and computerized system will dance. Sure, the fountain will strike the traditional pose. But its inner rings will erupt at intervals with choreographed bursts, chases and spirals in its basin, Lundeen said. The water will reach heights from 2 to 15 feet, she said.

And the feature’s outer rings will consist of overlapping, arcing jets that will create a “basket-like” pattern, she added. At night, the fountain will be “vibrantly lit” with white lights. The basin will be made of imported granite and will complement the art deco style of the historic buildings under renovation.

“St. Louis has never really seen anything like this before,” Lundeen said.

Said Koplar: “When you come to the Central West End, it’s going to be really special.”

We have a thing for water.

We drink it, bathe in it, are made of it. We also like to look at it. Especially if it makes a splash.

“Water is a necessary component of life,” Lundeen said. “Historically people have settled villages at the edge of water and gathered at wells and springs. People are naturally attracted to water features in an urban environment in much the same way.”