Saluda City Council recently heard from Terry Emory, a Pace Park adjacent building owner, who gave suggestions for how to decrease costs for constructing a park and restrooms downtown.

Emory said the city could get donations in materials, do fundraisers and get volunteers to do some of the work.

Emory also offered one design with 10 to 12 feet at the back of lot, which he and Ely Emory own, that they would deed to the city. The Emorys own the adjacent building, which houses Ely Emory’s Sterling and Stones. The front of the building is Wolf Run Art Gallery.

Terry Emory also said they would like to pay for the water and sewer lines because they are planning on building in the back of their business in the future.

Although cost estimates for designs for a planned park and building for public restrooms and a museum have not been done by the city, Terry Emory offered estimates.

He said a design with a fountain that places the restrooms perpendicular to the property would cost $31,452; another with a mini museum, fountain and city storage he estimated at $148,153 and another design that includes a family restroom, elevator and upper tier for a museum he estimated at $584,992.

Commissioner Lynn Cass said the city has not come up with any prices for any designs and she saw alarm in the audience’s faces when Emory mentioned his estimates.

Cass said that’s why the city is still getting in plans for the park.

Terry Emory said there is no reason the city can’t bring in more money and decrease costs.

Saluda has already sold approximately 170 pavers for Pace Park, with council members saying they need to start putting those down so people who purchased can see them.

Mayor Fred Baisden said putting in pavers the city could probably use volunteers but larger portions of the property the city likely cannot use volunteers.

Cass said it would be nice to have a community buy-in for the park.

The city is currently selling memorial bricks for Pace Park for $40 each.