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The city of Aurora has begun transforming the Great Lawn at the Aurora Municipal Center (AMC) into a more water-efficient landscape as part of the city's ongoing commitment to water conservation and sustainable park management.
On Monday, July 27, the city’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Department, in partnership with Elite Industries, started the process of replacing the Great Lawn’s existing Kentucky bluegrass turf with drought-tolerant Bermudagrass.
While the Great Lawn has long been a recognizable part of the city’s municipal center campus, maintaining large areas of traditional Kentucky bluegrass requires a considerable amount of water. Converting appropriate areas to more drought-tolerant landscaping is one of many steps the city is taking to be good stewards of an essential community resource. This new warm-season sod is a Bermudagrass, which is a water-efficient alternative that will be better suited to Colorado's climate. It is one of the few approved by Aurora Water for installation during the current Stage 1 Drought.
The project is part of PROS' Back to Our Roots initiative, a long-term effort to reduce water consumption by replacing high-water-use turf in Aurora with more sustainable drought-tolerant turf. Across the city, these conversions can reduce water use in converted areas by as much as 70%, which helps conserve millions of gallons of water over time.
Construction at the AMC campus is expected to continue through the end of August. During this phase, crews will remove the existing turf, prepare the site and install the new Bermudagrass sod.
Throughout construction, visitors to the site should expect to encounter:
- Construction vehicles and equipment around the Great Lawn
- Temporary closures of certain sidewalk areas around the Great Lawn
- Pedestrian detours around the construction area
- Occasional construction noise during normal working hours
Although construction is expected to conclude in August, the newly installed turf will require several weeks to establish before it can safely accommodate foot traffic. Sidewalks surrounding the Great Lawn are expected to reopen once construction is complete, but the lawn itself will remain closed through September to allow the grass to develop a healthy root system. The Great Lawn is anticipated to fully reopen for public use in October.
During the establishment period, visitors may notice watering outside of typical overnight irrigation hours in accordance with the sod permit through Aurora Water. This is temporary and necessary to help the new turf become established. All irrigation on the Great Lawn uses non-potable, recycled water and is permitted through Aurora Water.
The Great Lawn project reflects Aurora's broader commitment to creating resilient public spaces that conserve natural resources while continuing to serve residents for generations to come.
To learn more about the Back to Our Roots initiative, visit
AuroraGov.org/Roots.