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Landmark fountain drained during construction

May 12, 2005

KALAMAZOO--The fountain at Miller Auditorium, a popular landmark on the main campus of Western Michigan University, has been shut down and drained in anticipation of upcoming construction on the new James and Lois Richmond Center for Visual Arts. The Richmond Center will be located a few hundred feet west of the fountain.

The 80,000-gallon fountain was fed by a water line that runs directly through the area that will be excavated for the new building's foundation. Campus maintenance officials anticipate that a new water line serving the fountain will be completed this summer, but the fountain will likely remain empty until spring 2006, because of anticipated difficulty keeping it clean during the initial stages of construction on the Richmond Center.

Construction on the new art center also prompted annual Bronco Bash festivities to be moved from the Fountain Plaza to the parking lot at Lawson Ice Arena. The 25th Bronco Bash, welcoming students to the campus and to Kalamazoo, is set for Monday, Aug. 29, from 3 to 9 p.m. and will include all of the traditional games, music and activities.

Media contact: Thom Myers, 269 387-8400, thom.myers@wmich.edu

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