A small pocket park replete with interactive water fountains, a climbing wall, benches and trees will soon materialize at the corner of Second Avenue and Croy Street in Hailey.
The park will be called Jimmy's Garden, in honor of Jimmy Gelsky, who passed away in 2002. Gelsky lived in the large white house that used to stand at the site of the new park.
Hailey residents Chris and Phoebe Pilaro own the two city lots where Jimmy's Garden will be built. Rather than donate the property to the city, the Pilaros are leasing it to the city on a long-term basis for just $1 a year.
The couple will continue to pay property taxes on the property.
Organizers, including the Pilaros and members of Hailey's Parks and Land Board, hope to have the park complete and ready for visitors by July 1 of this year.
"That's the hope," Chris Pilaro said Tuesday.
To jumpstart work on the park and create a sense of ownership among city residents, donations of various material are being requested.
"We want the involvement now so people feel like they can come and utilize it," Pilaro said.
Park organizers have made a list of items needed to complete Jimmy's Garden. The requested donations include $100 pavers for the fountain patio, $250 bushes, $500 small trees, $1,000 large trees, or $2,500 park benches. Other suggested ways to donate to the park's construction include $10,000 to be a major contributor toward a climbing rock or $25,000 to be a major contributor to the park fountain.
All donors, no matter the size of donation, will be recognized.
A matching grant of up to $100,000 is also in place to enhance funding for the park.
The Hailey Parks Foundation will manage the donations, and donors will receive a nonprofit donation receipt for tax purposes.
Five percent of each donation will go directly into the Hailey Parks Foundation Endowment Fund, while the remaining 95 percent will be spent on the construction of Jimmy's Garden.
The city of Hailey will be responsible for the maintenance of the park.
