By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD — Community members, city leaders, and loved ones braved a summer heatwave on Tuesday to gather on the dirt lot that will soon become the crown jewel of Safford’s recreational spaces. With shovels in hand, the city officially broke ground on the future Mayor Jason Kouts Park, a sprawling $8.1 million municipal project designed to bring families together and honor a civic leader who spent his life championing the Gila Valley.
The emotional ceremony paid tribute to former Safford Mayor Jason Kouts, who passed away in January 2024 after a courageous battle with cancer. Known for his unwavering devotion to his hometown, he was chosen as the park’s namesake. Now, the long-held dream to transform the vacant property into a bustling community hub is finally becoming a reality.
A Vision Born from Dirt
For Safford officials and the Kouts family, the groundbreaking was the culmination of four years of intense planning, navigation of economic obstacles, and a commitment to carrying on a late leader’s legacy.
“Jason loved this city,” his widow, Maria Kouts Aguilar, told the crowd in a deeply moving speech. “He loved the city of Safford — not just because of the buildings and the projects and the roads, although he loved and cared about all of that stuff. But he loved it because of the people who call Safford home. He was the kind of leader who could look at an empty piece of land, and he could see families enjoying it years to come. I remember riding through Safford with Jason many times, and he would look at a lot. He would be like, ‘I can see children playing over there, and I can see parks going over here.’ All I saw was dirt. But he was a visionary.”
Maria Kouts Aguilar spoke eloquently about the nature of true leadership, noting that her late husband understood that his role was entirely about service.
“The greatest leaders don’t spend their lives building monuments to themselves,” she said. “They spend their lives building things they may never personally enjoy. They plant trees whose shade they may never stand under. They invest in people whose names they may never even know… Today, this park will carry Jason’s name, but my prayer is that it carries something even more important, and that’s his example.”
A State-of-the-Art Community Space
The project, which carries an initial award total of approximately $8.1 million, is being funded through a strategic mix of carryover federal COVID-19 relief funds and local public financing.
According to Safford Public Works Director Lance Henrie, the park will bridge a natural wash on the property and boast a massive array of amenities designed for all generations and abilities.
The future Mayor Jason Kouts Park will feature:
- An expansive water splash pad to help residents beat the desert heat.
- Four dedicated pickleball courts to meet the growing regional demand for the sport.
- Multiple distinct playgrounds, including fully all-inclusive play areas customized for children with special needs.
- An outdoor amphitheater featuring grass-hill seating for community concerts, festivals, and theatrical events.
- Extensive green space, including a significant replanting initiative that will bring a dense canopy of new trees and shade structures to the property.
“This whole project started about four years ago at kind of a concept of city-owned land, and we needed to do something with it,” Henrie explained. “I thought a park could be nice. Got with the community, got with the Parks and Rec. committee and the council, and it just blossomed into way more than I ever imagined. I’m super excited. This is day one.”
Henrie noted that the city gave the official “notice to proceed” to the contractor last week. While teams are currently coordinating with the local gas utility to safely navigate an existing line along the perimeter, the project is scheduled for an 18-month construction timeline, with a target grand opening in December 2027.
Safford’s leadership is already working closely with the builder on value engineering to maximize the budget. “We’re looking at some cost savings right now already… certain things that we can modify and maybe cut some costs on and still have what we’re expecting in the project,” Henrie said.
Overcoming Obstacles Through Collaboration
The journey to the groundbreaking was not easy. In addition to the tragic loss of Mayor Kouts, the community also mourned the loss of longtime City Councilmember Gene Seale during the planning phases. Skyrocketing post-pandemic inflation rates further threatened the project’s viability, requiring careful financial navigation by city staff.
“This has been a long time coming. It’s hard not to get emotional and not feel inspired about this day,” said Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee Chair Nora Rogers. She recalled how the committee explicitly sought to craft a space with “generational roots.”
“We wanted to pass down an inheritance that maybe my grandkids would come and visit and love this place just as much as I do,” Rogers said. “That there would be first birthday parties and graduations, festivals and concerts — a place of community inclusivity where everybody can be involved.”
Current Safford Mayor Richard Ortega, who worked alongside Kouts for years on the council, echoed the sentiment of shared communal pride and love.
“Today is an exciting day for our community. This park represents more than a new recreation space; it represents a commitment to investing in our families,” Mayor Ortega said. “I was fortunate enough to work with him for a long time, and I knew him very well. We agreed on things, and we disagreed, but we loved each other very much… When completed, this park will be a welcoming gathering place where children can play, families can spend time together, (and) neighbors can build friendships and memories.”
The project is being constructed by Danson Construction LLC, marking the firm’s third major municipal partnership in Safford over the past five years, following their work on the Dorothy Stinson School remodel and the Safford Police Department facility. Danson Vice President Devin Fontana praised the local atmosphere and said his team is eager to get to work.
“Every time my people come down here, they live in your guys’ community, and you guys are very, very welcoming,” Fontana told the attendees. “My people love coming back here to keep doing projects just because of the community you guys have built here.”
As Dr. David Chapman noted during the event’s opening invocation, the late mayor’s spirit was deeply felt across the grounds.
“Three things I know about Jason is number one, he loved God. Number two, he loved his family. Number three, he loved Safford,” Chapman said. “That guy was Safford all the way through.”
