FARMINGTON -- Never has an amenity made such a splash.
A water feature designed to entertain and be an attraction was unveiled Friday afternoon at Station Park.
A $2.5 million water fountain created by the same company that designed the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas and Disney's California Adventure was officially turned on to the delight of more than 300 people.
The fountain is conceived by Lifescapes International, and is the only water feature of its kind in a retail setting in the United States.
To the music of "The Best Is Yet to Come," synchronized spurts of water shot up to 60 feet in the air as music was piped through a complex audio setup with nine speakers around the water feature and a sound system designed to be heard, as one official mused, in Centerville.
The program is powered by a complex computer system more than one terabyte in size, according to Craig Trottier, vice president of development for CenterCal Properties, LLC.
Developers also unveiled six bronze sculptures created by Brian Keith, intended to inspire creativity and to honor the ability to dream the impossible dream. Similar to works featured in Danville, Calif., the sculptures show kids flying on the backs of swans, among other detailed work. Keith was on hand to unveil his works, which are displayed around and in a portion of the fountain.
Work on the village portion of the $250 million development is expected to begin within weeks and staggered store openings are expected until May 2013.
The project is being developed by CenterCal Properties, a division of the California State Teachers Retirement Fund.
Fred Bruning, chief executive officer of CenterCal, said developers have not spared expense on the details at Station Park because they intend to take developments up a notch from what is available elsewhere.
Mayor Scott Harbertson described that notch as being a "world class development." He praised Rich Haws and other developers for making the project come about.
Lt. Gov. Greg Bell reminded the crowd that when he served as mayor of Farmington there was an emphasis to keep the community's rural feel. He praised Station Park as "a spectacular development."
"Things like this just don't happen," Bell said, noting a lot of people were responsible for the planning and development process coming to fruition.
Keith is thrilled to have his sculptures as part of the new development because it makes his work available to a wider audience.
All of this is staged in a park setting at the southern end of Station Park, which features playground equipment for kids, indoor/outdoor dining and an ice skating rink.
The fountain will be the basis of a water show every hour, with rotating songs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends and 10 a.m. to midnight on weekends.
The state-of-the-art fountain features a waterfall that flows into a lower pool. Forty eight thousand gallons of water are recirculated throughout a filtered system. The orchestral display of music is complemented by a concert-grade surround-sound system. It is best seen at night, when the color element of the show, is most noticeable, Trottier said. The water feature will be a year-round amenity, since the water can be heated.
Station Park is located on 67 acres situated just south of Park Lane and west of State Route 89.
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