Fingers are crossed for May sunshine as city chiefs hope the Union Terrace Gardens lawn could be turfed by the month’s end.
The council is still looking for a company to lay the grass in the much-loved Aberdeen park.
It reopened after a £30 million facelift in late December.
But top brass decided the bleak winter weather was no time to put down turf.
With thousands traipsing through the new-look gardens during the Spectra lights festival in February, they said they would wait until spring.
Project managers have been eager to blame the weatherman for the ongoing bareness of the Union Terrace Gardens (UTG) lawn.
Light at the end of tunnel for Union Terrace Gardens turfing
But there is now hope that late May sunshine could provide them with the opportunity to take another step towards the multi-million-pound revamp looking finished.
Resources director Steve Whyte told councillors: “We are just concluding the procurement exercise, which I think concludes at the end of the week.
“And the intention is – weather permitting – to have the turf in Union Terrace Gardens down by the end of the month.”
Town House sources were relaxed about the looming procurement deadline, saying it’s usual practice for jobs to begin soon after an agreement is reached.
And while forecasters would recommend a kagoul on three of five working days next week, the tail end of May could well provide that opportunity.
BBC Weather predicts Sunday May 28 onwards will sunny and dry.
Before work began in 2019, the UTG lawn was a favourite for city centre sunseekers.
Update demanded on potential UTG tenants
Meanwhile, more information is to be made public on the leasing of the two unlet commercial properties built as part of the refurbishment.
Last week we reported that the council was still only in talks to find a tenant for the Burns Pavilion.
More than 400 days have passed since the deadline for notes of interest.
And Bob Keiller previously revealed his Union Street taskforce was offering the city a “modest” rent to take on the largest premises.
The Granite Mile pavilion, next to the Edward VII statue, was envisaged as a restaurant.
But Mr Keiller has said the coalition working to revive the city’s high street would act as a placeholder in the meantime, moving out if a permanent tenant is found.
A third pavilion on Rosemount Viaduct is home to the Common Sense Coffee House and Bar, which opened in September.
Information needed due to ‘a lot of interest’ in Union Terrace Gardens refurb
Demand for more detail on the leasing talks is expected to be met in July.
George Street and Harbour councillor Sandra Macdonald said: “There has been a lot of interest on Union Terrace Gardens as we know, so getting into the public realm would be useful.”
Local authority chiefs have long said the pavilions are not to be relied upon to cover the £30m cost of the refurb.
But their use is hoped to better populate the gardens longer into the night, boosting safety.
Council chiefs are also to share information the opening times for the public toilets in the gardens, reinstated as part of the overhaul.
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