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The is considering swapping out one of its iconic 1962 reflecting pools and replacing it with an ersatz meadow.

It鈥檚 fair to say that 99% of the people reading this story know exactly what someone means when they say (or write) 鈥渢he reflecting pools at the Pacific Science Center.鈥�

Along with the Space Needle and the Monorail and the International Fountain, and even the old Coliseum roofline at Climate Pledge Arena, those pools, and the arches over them, are among the most recognizable historical landmarks from the 1962 Seattle World鈥檚 Fair and from the past 60 years of Seattle Center鈥檚 existence.

While they are lovely and iconic and contain tens of thousands of gallons of history, it turns out those big pools are leaking precious water at an alarming rate.

As earlier this month, Pacific Science Center staff and consultants made a presentation to the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board this past Wednesday, Feb. 15. The Pacific Science Center complex was designated a city landmark in 2010, and so that body must approve nearly all proposed changes to the appearance and layout of the facility.

成人X站 Newsradio obtained a copy of the Zoom meeting from Landmarks Preservation Board staff. In the presentation, the PacSci team showed pictures of what they say are original pumps and plumbing for the pools and the fountains that go back to 1962 and which have never been replaced. They said the two pools 鈥� an upper pool on the north side of the courtyard and a lower pool on the south side 鈥� leak or evaporate an average of roughly 76,000 gallons of water a day, which adds up to 26 million gallons a year. They replace it all with tap water from Seattle Public Utilities for an annual cost of about $175,000.

Pacific Science Center CEO that fixing the leaks and upgrading the pumps 鈥� as well as doing some cosmetic restoration to the deck surrounding the pools 鈥� will cost an estimated $17 million.

Daugherty asserted that addressing this deferred maintenance and performing restoration of the second-most visible aspects (after the arches) of the historic landmark is not sexy enough for Science Center fundraising staff to be able to secure the funds required.

鈥淚t鈥檇 be really hard to raise $17 million to keep it as-is,鈥� Daugherty told the Landmarks Preservation Board. 鈥淭he public is telling us, the broader public is telling us, they want the Science Center to evolve. And where the investment comes from is in that evolution.鈥�

鈥淪o the best way to get the 鈥榠mperative work鈥� done may also be to embrace this 鈥榝uture-looking work,鈥欌�� Daugherty continued.

The 鈥渋mperative work鈥� (which Daugherty and the Science Center team during the meeting also called the 鈥渄o-nothing option鈥�) is actually a significant restoration of the landmark water features 鈥� stopping the leaks, restoring the terrazzo deck surfaces, upgrading the equipment, and increasing accessibility. The 鈥渇uture-looking work鈥� means fixing the leaks and equipment but then pursuing three variations on filling in or partially filling the south pool with soil and native plants to create (in two of the options) an artificial meadow.

The meadow is the 鈥渆volution鈥� to which Daugherty referred in his remarks to the board, though he didn鈥檛 cite specific research during the presentation.

Already, in advance of Wednesday鈥檚 meeting 鈥� thanks to a draft of the presentation which was in circulation beforehand 鈥� many in the historic preservation community were reacting with alarm at the notion of tinkering in any significant way with the pools.

Several historic preservation advocates submitted comments in advance, and some 鈥� including former , longtime preservation advocate Michael Herschensohn, and 鈥� also made comments during the meeting.

Objections boiled down to a handful of key points, including that the pools in the courtyard are part of the original design of what was called the 鈥淯nited States Science Pavilion鈥� before and during the fair. The complex was built with $12 million in federal money, which had come at a key moment in the local planning for the event, and which gave a formal and informal boost to the fair鈥檚 prospects as a 鈥渉appening鈥� on a grand scale, worthy of national and international attention.

Thus, the U.S. Science Pavilion 鈥� and not the Space Needle 鈥� was essentially the heart, soul, and brains of the 鈥淐entury 21鈥� science-themed fair. Along with this history and context, nearly all those objecting to significant changes also pointed out that the structures, courtyard, pools, and even the planters and benches were designed by Seattle-born Japanese-American architect Minoru Yamasaki, who also designed the World Trade Center, among other notable buildings.

It鈥檚 also fair to say that those pools and the courtyard surrounding them are also one of the most 鈥� if not the most 鈥� elegant and distinctive public spaces in Seattle at any time in the city鈥檚 171-year history. It鈥檚 almost impossible to name another place that even comes close.

Perhaps if the $17 million price tag were packaged more attractively 鈥� maybe call it 鈥減reserving a beloved and sacrosanct space for future generations鈥� rather than the 鈥渄o-nothing option鈥� 鈥� it might be an easier sell to donors who support preserving rather than significantly altering Yamasaki鈥檚 designs.

Eugenia Woo of Historic Seattle told 成人X站 Newsradio that when the Pacific Science Center gave her an advance look at their plans in December, she was 鈥渟hocked.鈥�

Woo says Minoru Yamasaki is a nationally and internationally treasured architect, and his Seattle work is worthy of being preserved and maintained. Landmarks, by their nature, Woo says, are constantly aging and thus can be maintenance-intensive.

鈥淭hey’re supposed to be good stewards of it,鈥� Woo said of the Pacific Science Center鈥檚 role as inheritors of the U.S. Science Pavilion. 鈥淥ver time, maintenance is really huge for stewarding historic properties. And so if you let something go, of course, it’s going to keep deteriorating.鈥�

鈥淚 first connected with them probably about 12 or 13 years ago, and the issues about the pools came up then,鈥� Woo continued. 鈥淎nd at the time, they did spend money to do some renovations. And, of course, you have to keep it up.鈥�

But, says Woo, it鈥檚 worth it for designated landmarks.

鈥淲ould you change the reflecting pool on the National Mall in DC? No, I don鈥檛 think so,鈥� Woo told 成人X站 Newsradio Thursday. 鈥淪o why would you do that here?鈥�

PLEASE SEE IMAGES IN THE THREAD!

In addressing deferred maintenance and aging issues for the historic 1962 Minoru Yamasaki-designed reflecting pools under the arches, I think should:

鈥� Feliks Banel (@FeliksBanel)

A non-scientific (to put it mildly) Twitter poll posted by 成人X站 Newsradio Thursday night was showing roughly 70% support for restoring the pools. A Facebook post with details about the various options showed roughly the same results, with many people expressing support for the portion of the Science Center鈥檚 preliminary proposals, which include removing the dinosaurs and other objects now on display in the pools, as well as finding a way to capture rainwater for pool use rather than relying only on tap water.

This process of coming up with options for the pools has apparently been underway since last year. It鈥檚 unclear what comes next or when the Science Center will come back to the Landmarks Board with refinements to their proposals. Again, they will need that board鈥檚 approval before making any changes. Also, there will likely be additional opportunities for public comment.

成人X站 Newsradio contacted the Pacific Science Center鈥檚 media relations staff via phone and multiple emails beginning Wednesday to learn more about the organization鈥檚 plans. As of early Friday, no one has responded.

You can hear Feliks every Wednesday and Friday morning on Seattle鈥檚 Morning News with Dave Ross and Colleen O鈥橞rien, read more from him鈥�here, and subscribe to The Resident Historian Podcast聽here. If you have a story idea, please email Feliks鈥�here.