The Ketchum Town Square promised in the Community Development Corp.'s design drawings is coming to life.
This week, workers who broke ground May 4 are finishing excavating and laying down infrastructure, and will be starting construction of key elements.
The public park is on a city-owned piece of property along East Avenue, across from the Giacobbi Square shopping center.
"I think it's really going to exceed people's expectations," said Dale Bates, CDC board member and leader of the square's design team during a weekly construction meeting Tuesday morning.
On the same day, workers were forming the square's main structural element—the earthen entertainment stage. They were placing cement bricks into place one at a time. The large bricks form the exterior of the stage to be filled with dirt and covered in pavers.
Kurt Eggers, owner of landscape architect firm Eggers Associates, said the stage's pavers should be in place by Friday.
And the muddy, dug-up area in front of the stage should be flat and prepped for a field of pavers by Thursday if the gas lines are approved, according to Mike Olenick of Big Wood Landscape.
Pavers will fill the majority of the square's surface, with a grass area at the northern end already open to people. Bates said the fire pit would be constructed out of three large steel cones originally used to crush ore at a Triumph mine. Another surprise is the dog fountain, to be carved out of a large rock slab.
Jennifer Smith, superintendent of the Ketchum Parks and Recreation Department, said the finished square would be broken in at a ribbon cutting on Friday, July 2, at 5 p.m. But more will happen than a mere ceremony. Smith said the department is planning a slew of family-friendly events, including face painting, balloon animals and music.
"There will definitely be ice cream," she said.
And, Bates joked, the dog fountain will give children an excuse to play in the water. Bates also emphasized that the CDC is still raising money to pay for the square. Call 727-2117 if interested.
Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com
Jose Reyes lays large cement pavers forming the steps at the front of the Ketchum Town Square’s entertainment stage. The stage is scheduled to be done Friday and the entire square finished for a July 2 ribbon cutting. Photo by Willy Cook
