Work to improve the grounds around the Cole County Courthouse began earlier this month, and now, commissioners are looking at conceptual drawings of what the finished product could look like.
At Tuesday's commission meeting, Western District Commissioner Kris Scheperle showed drawings by Longfellow's Garden Center.
After replacement of all the windows in the courthouse and annex was completed this year, commissioners started the revitalization by taking out two trees on the lawn facing Monroe that had been damaged in storms and by bugs.
The heavy equipment used to install the new windows caused damage to the lawn and sidewalks, so now the commission is coming up with the preliminary plans to put new sidewalks around the courthouse.
Two groups - the Jane Randolph Daughters of the American Revolution and the Christopher Casey Sons of the American Revolution - have both approached the commission about planting trees on the courthouse lawn. Each group would plant one tree, and each would be the same height as the recently removed trees. Another tree could be planted to mark the bicentennial of Cole County in 2020.
The main entrance and exit steps are to be replaced, and the inner sidewalks could be taken out with more plants and shrubs put in place.
Commissioners plan to further discuss the ideas and are even looking to put the plans on the county's website, colecounty.org.
"We hope to improve the sloping on Monroe and East High streets with this work," Scheperle said. "We hope to get started with the work in the spring."
The money to pay for the work would come out of capital improvement funds with the cost estimated between $50,000-$70,000.