Langford Green being updated

http://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/college/fsu/football/2017/07/26/florida-states-langford-green-gets-makeover/511725001/

Langford Green on Florida State's campus has seen its use increase exponentially over the years.

Fans, vendors, and ESPN's College Gameday show have utilized the space outside of Doak Campbell Stadium during the Seminoles' football season.

FSU students use it for recreational purposes.

In 2015, country music star Brad Paisley held a free concert on Langford Green.

 

The grassy area, which welcomes visitors to the University Center Complex and Doak Campbell Stadium off Varsity Drive, wasn't designed for such heavy use however.

It also has been difficult to maintain due to poor drainage, cracking and loose pavers and sidewalks and outdated lighting. 

"The Green just gets a lot of use. It's needed to be refreshed," Jerry Kutz, vice president of Capital Campaigns & Projects for Seminole Boosters, Inc., told the Tallahassee Democrat. 

“(Langford Green) is the front lawn for the University Center and Doak Campbell Stadium but our university administration realizes it is also the front lawn and most visible entrance to the Florida State University campus.”

The area is receiving much-needed attention.

Langford Green currently is under construction to improve access to large trucks as well as being more functional for students. The project is being funded by the university.

It will also receive a makeover that includes a new irrigation system to help maintain a stronger, healthier lawn, new sidewalks and walkways and additional trees, tree grates and landscaping.

The amphitheater will be removed and replaced with a new plaza. WiFi also is being added to the coverage area. 

 

"They took the knowledge gained from the last 19 years, and they’ve put in driveways into there where you can back a truck up into it but you’re driving on a mat," Kutz said. 

"It’s not going to destroy the sprinklers underneath or impact the soil. It’s designed to be compacted. The type of soil that they’re putting in there will drain naturally better. They’re putting in some drainage that will help it.

"More trees and color (are being added) along the walkways on either side."

FSU also wanted to better recognize what the green was initially designed for and the person that it was named after.

George Langford has been described as the father of the Seminole Boosters during his two-terms as president of the organization in the 1960s. 

New signage will include a redesigned “DeVoe L. Moore University Center” sign, new “Langford Green” signage, and a new Langford Green plaque pedestal. 

"It’s the entrance to the DeVoe L. Moore University Center complex, and that was kind of lost in the way the way the signage was built," Kutz said.

"The Langford green and the story of George Langford needs to be recognized better on the Green and it will be on the patio."

Kutz said the new Langford Green will be built for the future, but it will also be a symbol of the past and the people who helped get FSU to where it is today.

It is an iconic area that people pass each day. 

“Thousands of cars travel past Langford Green every day from the airport to downtown Tallahassee, the state capital complex and the FSU and FAMU campuses, so it was important Langford Green reflected the architectural beauty of the main campus,” Kutz said.