Got boring retention ponds? Use a little imagination!
San Antonio has its Riverwalk, Austin has its creeks and Town Lake,
and San Marcos, Texas, has Venetian-style canals in a shopping mall
parking lot:

With fountains and bridges:

And bell tower and gondolas, with J. Crew:

These pictures were taken Charles Spurgeon, San Marcos, Texas, 4 Dec 2005.
I’ve found others up through about 2007.

It looks like in early 2009 the gondolas got converted into

the Remote Boat Marina:

The remote boats even have
a facebook fan page.

And the mall still advertises

“Gondola Picturesque Fountain Area and bridges available for event and photo background rental”.

Contact: Guest Services

(512) 396-2200 or 1-800-628-9465

3939 IH-35 South

San Marcos, TX 78666

With a little imagination, something
can be done with retention ponds to make them attractive and maybe
even a revenue generator.