Zilker Park to be Less Dusty in 2009

If you went to Austin City Limits in 2005, you probably remember it as "The Year of the Dust." Grass was hard to find and dust was so rampant, everyone was covered in a thick layer of it (and nearly blinded). It definitely put a damper on the festivities.

Since then, many Zilker Park-goers have complained about the lack of grass and abundance of dust, and the city government has finally listened. KVUE reports that last week, the city began a $2.5 million, 42-acre renovation project for the dusty park. While the government is footing the bill now, the ACL organizers are paying for it in the long run. They'll be paying back the city over the next five years.

Workers will add drinking fountains and an irrigation system, in addition to replacing the turf. So the new grass has time to take root, Zilker Park will be closed through early summer. It will be well worth the wait.