Old Decatur Courthouse’s lawn to be refurbished

The two lawn areas east of the Community Bandstand in downtown Decatur are being refurbished. Pedestrian traffic has worn the lawns at the Old Courthouse on the Square, compacting the roots of the grass and preventing the lawns from growing, officials said.

The City of Decatur has hired Plants, a local company, to install a new pervious system that allows the grass to grow through it while at the same time reducing the stress on the roots. The project began July 13.

The construction area will be fenced off during the two-week installation project and the two grassy areas will be fenced through the end of August to allow the new sod to get established. The project also includes additional landscaping designed to encourage pedestrians to stick to the sidewalks and use the lawn for passive recreation rather than using it as a shortcut.