COEUR d'ALENE - If you plan to use the new parking garage at McEuen Park when a portion of it opens Friday, don't forget to get a parking receipt.

"If you don't print one out and put it on your dash, you will probably get a ticket," said Keith Erickson, a spokesman for the city. "The first two hours are still free, but you have to print out a receipt."

There is one digital parking kiosk at the west end of the parking garage, and if you put in two hours the receipt will print for free. Three hours costs $3, and each additional hour costs a dollar.

"For now we only have one kiosk," Erickson said. "But eventually there will be a total of four kiosks."

The lower parking lot behind City Hall is free all-day parking, and has several parking areas for vehicles with boat trailers, according to Erickson.

The east end of the park with all of the playground equipment, basketball and tennis courts, and the dog park will open first-thing Friday morning, Erickson said.

City employees and the contractors will show up at first light and begin moving the chain-link fencing that will be used to block access to the west end of the park, which is still under construction.

"That will be opened on May 24," Erickson said, adding some of the landscaping will take a little longer than that.

Steve Anthony, the city's recreation director, said artists will start erecting their sculptures later this month.

"Howard (Meehan) will be here on May 12 to start putting up his sculpture," Anthony said. Meehan created the "Under the Rainbow" sculpture that will be erected at the main entrance to the park on Fourth Street.

Anthony said the "Allium Spring Chorus" sculpture is not far behind. He said the artist has started a blog to document his progress. It will be located at the Third Street entrance to the park.

"He has the bulbs done, so I think he's about half done with his," Anthony said. The Allium Spring Chorus resembles a wild onion that has gone to seed.

The bronze sculpture called "The Explorer" will be installed a little later, Anthony said.

"But I hope to have most everything in by June 1," he added.

Donated art will be coming later in the summer. "The American Worker" sculpture will be added sometime in July or August.

The same goes for the $50,000 sundial which was donated by Charlie and Susan Nipp, Erickson said. It is being designed by Miller Stauffer Architects.

"Since that is a donated item, we are building around it," said Phil Boyd, with Welch-Comer Engineers.

Boyd said that the clock face portion of the sundial, which is colored concrete with brass numerals will be installed in June and the dial portion of the sundial will be constructed later in the summer. It will be located on an overhanging portion of the promenade along Front Avenue.

Half of the promenade will be opened for foot traffic on Friday, but pavers are still being installed in many areas. Two of the stairwells on the north side of Front Avenue will also be opened, for access to the parking garage under the street.

The city has also installed state-of-the-art, solar-powered trash compactors on the north side of Front Avenue, and two more in the park itself.

"We call them R2-D2s," Boyd said. "They look just like an R2-D2."

The compactors can be programed to compact the trash at certain intervals, and they will call the city when they are full and need to be emptied.

Bill Greenwood, interim parks director, said there will be no fanfare at the soft opening, but there will be a ceremony at the grand opening on May 24.

Greenwood said he has contemplated turning the splash pad on during these warm temperatures, but has decided against it until after the grand opening.

"We have a bunch of students coming down here on Friday," he said. "I don't want to have a bunch of parents mad at me because their kids came home from school all wet."