Silver Spring's Faux Grass to Stick Around Till Spring

AFTER MONTGOMERY COUNTY PLANNERS approved a proposal to transform an empty lot into a vibrant civic plaza in Silver Spring in June, it was thought that construction on the project — which will include an ice rink, farmers market, performance space and veterans plaza — would begin in this fall. And that meant that fans of the artificial grass that currently covers the 1.5-acre site had just a scant few months to enjoy their beloved turf.

Well, it looks like the green stuff just got a stay of execution — for a little while, anyway. Gary Stith, director of the Silver Spring Regional Center, told Express that while the civic center project is moving forward, the first bulldozers won't be showing up for a few more months to give construction bids time to be finalized. So in the interim, the artificial grass — technically, a SoftLawn made from polypropylene — is still open for business.

EARLIER:
» "Silver Spring Shifts Focus From Open Lot to Plaza" [WaPo]
» "Silver Spring's 'Turf' Hangout a Dream Cut Too Short" [Raw Fisher/WaPo]
» "Up for Debate: Is Silver Spring's Fake Grass Cheap?" [Free Ride/Express]

File photo by Kevin Clark/The Washington Post