The grassy lawn of the west Belvedere / Waterfront Plaza has been known to become a swamp when it rains, or when it’s irrigates, but especially when it’s irrigated in the rain (that actually happens fairly frequently). Workers are currently installing nine rows of drainage pipe under the lawn that will help channel water away from the surface and into the sewer. With the enormous events held on the Belvedere such as Thunder Over Louisville, Forecastle, or Abbey Road on the River, the lawn takes a trampling. Over time, the ground has become compacted and water pools on the surface.
The grass always seemed able to handle the traffic. That’s until the Ryder Cup mega-tent was installed earlier this year. Now, the grass is largely dead. Large black rectangles dot the lawn where supports for the tent used to be. As a result, after the parallel pipes are buried, the entire lawn is set to be re-seeded, just in time to be trampled again during Thunder next April.
