Celebrating the One Year Anniversary of Saving the Block
This week we are celebrating the one year anniversary of successfully protecting the greenspace on the Block forever through a conservation easement. It was a fast and furious campaign to raise more than $7 million to keep the community-cherished, historic downtown public space safe from the development of a 90,000-square-foot hotel. The Jackson Hole Land Trust had just over four months to generate enough community support and funding to cover the conservation component of the land deal. The deal was made possible by an anonymous local family who originally placed the entire block under contract to provide project partners the opportunity to develop a community-oriented plan that ensured the protection of the greenspace, preserved the historic buildings, and kept local businesses in their homes.
With COVID-19 restrictions limiting our ability to gather to celebrate the one year anniversary of this inspiring campaign, we are revisiting the exciting timeline of the Save the Block campaign and feeling grateful for each and every one of you who made a contribution to this unified community effort. Join us in recognizing and celebrating the incredible milestones that collectively resulted in Saving the Block.
Save the Block Campaign Timeline
- April 17, 2019 – The JHLT announced with partners a Plan to Save the Genevieve Block
- April 26, 2019 – Project partners hosted a community meeting on the Block during which the JHLT secured 335 gifts in one day, locking in a $100K leadership gift through the first of several Community Challenges that defined the campaign
- May 3, 20219 – Million Dollar May was announced when an anonymous family challenged the JHLT to secure 1,000 gifts over the month of May with the reward of a $1 million matching gift
- May 29, 2029 – Sneaky Pete and the Secret Weapons play the first show of the Summer Concert Series on the Block, sponsored by Bank of Jackson Hole
- May 30, 2020 – Save the Block Campaign meets the Million Dollar May goal, bringing in over 1,500 unique gifts in May 2019
- June 5, – 2019 – $4 Million by the 4th challenge announced with another $1 million challenge to the JHLT to add another 1,000 gifts to the campaign by the 4th of July
- June 26, 2019 – The Canyon Kids play the second show of the Summer Concert Series on the Block, sponsored by Bank of Jackson Hole
- July 4, 2019 – Save the Block Superheroes walk in the 4th of July parade, announcing the successful completion of the $4 million by the 4th challenge when the float hit Town Square
- July 10, 2020 – Block owner, Max Chapman, lowers the total price of the Block by $1 million, bringing the project closer to feasibility and completion
- July 17, 2019 – Freda Felcher plays the third show of the Summer Concert Series on the Block, sponsored by Bank of Jackson Hole
- August 12, 2019 – The JHLT announces to a crowd of 500+ at the Annual Picnic that Jackson Hole Saved the Block
- August 14, 2019 – Mayor Pete Muldoon and special guests Brent Moyer, Phil Round, and Wendy Colonna played a celebratory 4th installment of the Save the Block Summer Concert Series
- August 16, 2019 – Save the Block partners officially close on the Block, forever protecting the community greenspace with a conservation easement
- September 11, 2019 – The community celebrated the successful Save the Block campaign one last time at the fifth and final Save the Block Summer Concert Series featuring The Canyon Kids
- October 25, 2019 – JHLT and Save the Block project partners awarded Citizens of the Year by the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce
- October 26, 2019 – JHLT awarded Preservation Award by the Teton County Historic Preservation Board for Save the Block efforts to preserve the historic character of Jackson
- March 31, 2020 – JHLT announces partnership with Hershberger Design to create a plan for the expanded community greenspace
- July 17, 2020 – Final design concept plans are announced for the Block, promising “Green grass ahead for the Genevieve Block”
This effort was made possible through the support of more than 2,500 individuals and businesses who made 5,700 gifts to the campaign to Save the Block. We are excited to move forward with the plans to create an even better and bigger community greenspace opening Summer 2021.
As we celebrate this success together, we hope you will consider a gift to the Jackson Hole Land Trust’s Annual Fund which will support the ongoing maintenance and programming for the Block and other community conservation properties like Rendezvous “R” Park.
