An opportunity for WCG to purchase the 4th East Garden property emerged a few months ago when Community Development Corp. won a competitive proposal process with the Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City to build 9th Street Place, a mixed-use, mixed-income project on the old Sure Appliance site at 153 W. 900 South.

It is the largest project ever taken on by the nonprofit development group, Brush said, making it necessary to focus all attention and resources there and providing an opportunity to sell the 4th East Garden property to Wasatch Community Gardens.

CDC is seeking only the $250,000 it paid for the property in March, and it has given Wasatch Community Gardens a year to raise that.

Aagaard said the agency has received $20,000 in strong donation commitments to save the garden, as well as another $50,000 in soft pledges. The group also has applied with Salt Lake City's open-space preservation program, which last week put $615,000 toward a $1.4 million purchase of 12.7 acres below the "H" rock and east of Foothill Boulevard to keep as open space.

Wasatch Community Gardens is hoping to get a 50 percent match from the city, with funds coming from the $5.3 million bond approved by Salt Lake City voters in 2003. The group also hopes to tap into the $24 million of bond money for preservation of open space approved by Salt Lake County residents in 2006.

"This garden is so rooted in the community," Aagaard said. "Community members are the ones who created it, and community members are the people who have sustained it for more than 25 years. It's the community members we call upon at this time to help us save this garden."

For more information about saving the 4th East Garden, go online to wasatchgardens.org or call 801-359-2658.

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