Lower Estate Garden Renovation Nearing the Finish Line
If you’ve wandered past the Lower Estate Garden lately, you may have noticed a whole lot of progress—and we’re excited to share that the renovation is officially in its home stretch!
Thanks to a heroic push from our project team (and some strategic sprints to beat the rapidly closing winter weather window), all major concrete work is now complete. Over the next two weeks, crews will be buttoning up the final details, with a full site clean scheduled for January 2, 2026—just in time to admire it when you return from the holiday break.
Like most renovation adventures, a few surprises popped up along the way. Updates to concrete finishes, electrical adjustments, code-driven changes from the site inspector, and some concealed-condition curveballs created some challenges, but the results are worth it—the finished garden is shaping up to be a beautiful and highly used campus asset.
Some finishing touches still to come include reinstalling the Bach handrails from the original pool, new guardrails along the paths, remaining plantings, and the Grass Pave, a permeable, grid-like system made of concrete with open cells that allow grass to grow through. These final elements will be completed over the next two weeks. We’ve also chosen simple, durable, commercial-grade picnic tables and Adirondack chairs; comfortable furniture we hope you find yourself using this spring when the true “wow” moment will arrive. In addition, there is an amazing new water feature, currently winterized—be sure to check it out in the spring when it’s back up and operating! By May 2026, the newly planted landscape will be starting to bloom, offering the first full look at the garden in its finished form.
We can’t wait for the L&C community to enjoy this refreshed and revitalized outdoor space!
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How to Report Safety Hazards and Accidents
With the possibility of upcoming wintry conditions, community members should prioritize using extra caution to avoid slips, trips, and falls. Despite the best efforts to keep paths safe to navigate, campus surfaces can be uneven, obscured, or slippery during inclement weather.
