Chris Sikich

chris.sikich@indystar.com

CARMEL — Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard will ask the City Council on Monday to fund repairs for the long-deteriorating reflecting pool at City Center.

Brainard has submitted a proposal to repair the pool with $613,200 from the Rainy Day Fund. The council will meet at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

Council President Eric Seidensticker does not plan to hold a vote on the project Monday. The council, he said, needs time to examine the proposal.

The Rainy Day Fund, he said, generally is used for emergencies. He's not sure repairing the reflecting pool qualifies.

City spokeswoman Nancy Heck said the scope of the repairs is "above and beyond annual maintenance" and "the cost is not something our annual maintenance budget can accommodate."

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Envisioned as an eye-catching public amenity for Carmel's emerging City Center project, the reflecting pool long has been a sore subject in Carmel.

The Carmel Redevelopment Commission developed the 84,300-square-foot pool in 2002 and 2003, partly using a $1 million federal grant.

CSO Architects handled the design work for $42,047, according to Star archives, and Carmel-based Eden Enterprises built the pool for $1.367 million.

Carmel began experiencing problems with the pool in following years. First, the water leaked. Then, concrete began to crack and crumble.

Seidensticker said an engineering study determined materials had been improperly installed. Eden Enterprises went out of business in 2008, though, so the city was unable to recoup money through the company to make repairs.

Carmel is not the only municipality to find problems with the company's work. Fishers tried to recover $100,000 from Eden Enterprises in 2009, after fields in Cyntheanne Park deteriorated.

Call Star Reporter Chris Sikich at (317) 444-6036. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisSikich.