Paved Paradise & Put Up A Palm Tree
Donation protected
I am asking for $40,000 to create a pocket park and bring the iconic Palm Tree back to it’s original corner at 30th and Spenard. The Palm Tree’s long history and decades of long winters has led to much structural damage. Glacier Sign will be restoring the tree this summer. It is my hope to create a lively and artful space that shares the whimsy of the tree and brings hope and beauty to the community.
The municipality is breaking ground on major road improvements this summer at 30th and Spenard. This provides an opportunity to capture efficiency of economy to install and power the Palm Tree while the roads are being dug up and the power lines are being buried. And an opportunity for this reimagined icon to be returned to the community.
THE BEGINNING
This story really all started 10 years ago when I purchased 3005 Spenard and began renovating the building. My building shared a “party wall” with the then Paradise Inn. Many know the Paradise Inn had been in rapid decline for years and had devolved into a den of drugs and prostitution. When the owner was arrested and sent to prison for possession and selling of drugs, the Paradise Inn went into foreclosure. The Palm Tree was removed from the Paradise Inn by the disposal company clearing the property to ready it for sale before I could close the deal. After 2 years of negotiations, I was able to purchase the Paradise Inn minus the tree.
The disposal company had been storing the tree but shortly thereafter, they were sued to return the tree. The judge declared the Palm Tree was part of the property and had to be returned. Once the Federal Marshall’s had the Palm Tree back, they held an auction and the lucky bidder was the Spenard Booster Club who arranged to have the tree fenced and protected by the Church of Love (now known as The Nave). I purchased the Palm Tree from the Spenard Booster Club in 2020 with the understanding that I would work towards refurbishing and repatriating the tree.
THE MIDDLE AND THE MEDIUM
The ADN came to do a piece on the demolition of the Paradise Inn during the summer of 2019 and the camerawoman informed me there were spirits in the building. I can’t say I was surprised. A lot had happened in that hotel. The thought of paving spirits into the Paradise parking lot (thank you Joni Mitchell) was too much for me. I wanted to be respectful so I hired a medium. We walked through the building with me carrying the plans and talking about my vision for the future of the space. I sensed a major energy shift after that.
PALM TREE SPECIFICS
The Palm Tree is 28’ tall and 6’ wide at its longest frond to frond. The metal has corroded and the neon has not worked in at least 15 years.
The repairs for the tree are $40,000 and another $150,000 to create the pedestal, power the tree, landscape, and develop the pocket park. I am asking for $40,000 because that is what I will owe Glacier Sign for the repairs this summer. They have already started work and the money raised thus far will go directly to paying that bill.
RECEIVE A SHIRT OF SUPPORT
I have received some private corporate sponsorship that is not reflected in this Go Fund Me and they will be getting a shout out on a groovy retro t-shirt I am designing with Bret of Hulin Design. There is still time to support this with a donation of $1,000 or more and get your name on the back of the t-shirt.
INVITED TO THE CELEBRATION
When the Palm Tree is back to her corner, I will host a block party in the parking lot for all donors and community members to celebrate healing the pain of things that happened to many on that corner when the Paradise Inn was in decline. James Temte and Mike Conti already installed the mural you see in the renderings and her watchful gaze is patiently waiting to revel in the joy of resurrecting a piece of Spenard history as a community.
The municipality is breaking ground on major road improvements this summer at 30th and Spenard. This provides an opportunity to capture efficiency of economy to install and power the Palm Tree while the roads are being dug up and the power lines are being buried. And an opportunity for this reimagined icon to be returned to the community.
THE BEGINNING
This story really all started 10 years ago when I purchased 3005 Spenard and began renovating the building. My building shared a “party wall” with the then Paradise Inn. Many know the Paradise Inn had been in rapid decline for years and had devolved into a den of drugs and prostitution. When the owner was arrested and sent to prison for possession and selling of drugs, the Paradise Inn went into foreclosure. The Palm Tree was removed from the Paradise Inn by the disposal company clearing the property to ready it for sale before I could close the deal. After 2 years of negotiations, I was able to purchase the Paradise Inn minus the tree.
The disposal company had been storing the tree but shortly thereafter, they were sued to return the tree. The judge declared the Palm Tree was part of the property and had to be returned. Once the Federal Marshall’s had the Palm Tree back, they held an auction and the lucky bidder was the Spenard Booster Club who arranged to have the tree fenced and protected by the Church of Love (now known as The Nave). I purchased the Palm Tree from the Spenard Booster Club in 2020 with the understanding that I would work towards refurbishing and repatriating the tree.
THE MIDDLE AND THE MEDIUM
The ADN came to do a piece on the demolition of the Paradise Inn during the summer of 2019 and the camerawoman informed me there were spirits in the building. I can’t say I was surprised. A lot had happened in that hotel. The thought of paving spirits into the Paradise parking lot (thank you Joni Mitchell) was too much for me. I wanted to be respectful so I hired a medium. We walked through the building with me carrying the plans and talking about my vision for the future of the space. I sensed a major energy shift after that.
PALM TREE SPECIFICS
The Palm Tree is 28’ tall and 6’ wide at its longest frond to frond. The metal has corroded and the neon has not worked in at least 15 years.
The repairs for the tree are $40,000 and another $150,000 to create the pedestal, power the tree, landscape, and develop the pocket park. I am asking for $40,000 because that is what I will owe Glacier Sign for the repairs this summer. They have already started work and the money raised thus far will go directly to paying that bill.
RECEIVE A SHIRT OF SUPPORT
I have received some private corporate sponsorship that is not reflected in this Go Fund Me and they will be getting a shout out on a groovy retro t-shirt I am designing with Bret of Hulin Design. There is still time to support this with a donation of $1,000 or more and get your name on the back of the t-shirt.
INVITED TO THE CELEBRATION
When the Palm Tree is back to her corner, I will host a block party in the parking lot for all donors and community members to celebrate healing the pain of things that happened to many on that corner when the Paradise Inn was in decline. James Temte and Mike Conti already installed the mural you see in the renderings and her watchful gaze is patiently waiting to revel in the joy of resurrecting a piece of Spenard history as a community.
Organizer
Cynthia Berger
Organizer
Anchorage, AK
