For the first time in almost two years, Toomer's Corner no longer looked as if it was missing something.
Four years ago the trees were poisoned in an act of vandalism, and on April 20, 2013, the Auburn Family gathered together, more than 83,000 strong, to participate in "One Last Roll."
With the removal of the trees, rolling plans were altered and changes were made. The University and city worked together to bring a rolling alternative for fans. Two cables were constructed and hung from the intersection of College Street and Magnolia Avenue. Construction on the new Samford Park began and a revision of Toomer's Corner began. The construction ended in August 2014, and the news that the trees were returning began to spread.
On Saturday, Feb. 14, two carefully chosen trees were planted into the fresh and untainted soil. Fans from old to young gathered around the trees with looks of admiration and hope that these two trees would last.
To Gary Keever, professor of horticulture, the hardest part was deciding what trees would be chosen.
"It was a very involved process, and so many people were willing to donate trees from all over the country," Keever said. "We decided to go with live Oaks, the same as the original trees, and we chose three trees out of 9,000."
The current trees that have been planted are 35 feet tall and 30 feet wide. They are approximately 15 years old compared to the original oaks, which Keever said were approximately 85 years old.
Now that the oak trees have been planted, the main issue centers on their protection.
"We're trying to get the word out that rolling of the new trees will not begin until the fall of 2016," said Mike Clardy, director of communications and media relations. "It's a good day for Toomer's Corner having the trees back, and we want to protect them as much as possible."
The University will remain in charge of the cleaning of the trees after rolling, but some changes will be implemented.
"In the interim, any rolling that occurs off-campus will be cleaned up by the city as it has always been with a combination of washing, street sweeping and specialized tools for collecting paper," said David Dorton, director of public affairs.
According to Clardy, the plans of rolling cleanup have not been finalized, but the technique of pressure-washing will be opted out for hand cleaning.
"We want to see how the trees are acclimating, so we will be cleaning the trees by hand," Clardy said. "Sure, it will take longer to clean them by hand, but their safety is our first priority."
Originally, a company in Montgomery cleaned the trees.
"They would use a fire hose equipped with an adjustable nozzle that we decided on in 2008," Keever said. "They used lower pressure on the lower limbs and high pressure on the top limbs to minimize damage or plant loss."
According to Keever, if the trees are rolled before 2016, it will depend on how the trees appear, and the University will decide upon hand removal or pressure washing.
The next phase of downtown renovations will include improvements at the intersection of Samford Avenue and College Street and improvements around the historic Train Depot.
A citywide celebration will be held downtown on A-Day in April to celebrate the return of the trees, and, afterward, more renovations of Toomer's Corner and the intersection will be added. The renovations will include a permanent Tiger Paw that will be stamped on the street and 30 new trees, planted from the acorns of the original Oaks.
"We have been waiting four years for the trees to return," Keever said. "We look forward to celebrating with Toomer's Corner back to the way it is supposed to be."
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