A six-month, $3 million restoration of the pond at Bushnell Park has wrapped up just in time for one of downtown Hartford’s biggest annual events.
The Bushnell Park Conservancy announced this week that fencing around the pond has been removed and the restoration work is nearly complete, with the area now accessible to the public ahead of Saturday’s Eversource Hartford Marathon.
The project, which began in May, addressed decades of sediment accumulation that had compromised the pond’s depth and water quality. Torrington-based Yield Industries completed the work under a $2.94 million contract with the city of Hartford.
The restoration included dredging accumulated sediment, installing a new liner system similar to a pool, placing new rocks, upgrading the aeration system and fountains, and installing a system that allows the pond to be drained when necessary. Crews also repaired the historic brownstone walls surrounding the pond and improved drainage systems.
According to a Sept. 25 Facebook post from the conservancy, contractors recently completed refilling the pond and are finishing electrical work before installing the aerators and fountains. The organization also reinstalled replica benches from the 1939 World’s Fair around the pond’s perimeter and reseeded lawn areas damaged during construction.
The reopening comes as Bushnell Park prepares for a series of major events that draw thousands of visitors to downtown Hartford. The marathon on Saturday will showcase the restored pond to participants and spectators from across the region. The park also recently hosted a wedding and the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on Sunday.
The pond at Bushnell Park was originally created in 1943 after the Park River was buried underground following devastating floods in the 1930s, according to the Hartford Courant. The artificial pond was designed with brownstone walls to echo the serpentine path where the river once flowed.
The Bushnell Park Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that works in partnership with the city to preserve and maintain the 37-acre park, has raised $9 million since its founding in 1981 to restore the park’s historic landmarks and structures.