Workers began pouring concrete for the new sidewalks on the Covington Square Friday afternoon, a significant milestone for the construction project intended to make the city’s centerpiece an even prettier place.

Mayor Ronnie Johnston said construction is on schedule to meet its early-September deadline, “by the first week of September, by the second week of September we should be all done.”

The project includes resurfacing the sidewalks, building a couple new walkways, adding benches, and landscaping around the veterans’ memorial.

And power. Adding lots of power.

Johnston said the trenches some residents asked about were dug to add power cables to prevent bands or festivals from complaining about a lack of electricity for parties on the square. The trenches will also hold cords for heavy-duty speaker cords.

“I think people are excited” about the project, Johnston said.

People do seem excited, with the except one person who expressed worry that all those trenches and sidewalks will dig up the roots of the square’s big magnolias.

The trees will be fine, Johnston said.

Great Estates Landscaping, which handled the beautification of the Turner Lake roundabout, has donated its time and talent to making the square look nice, Johnston said. The city provided the landscaping materials.

“It won’t just look good for a while. It’s going to look good for a long time,” Johnston said.

The project was scheduled for late August because “there was very little going on in the Square from Aug. 11 to the first of September,” said City Manager Leigh Anne Knight.

The county allows the city to maintain and improve the square.