The City of Renton will replace 24 red maple street trees along South Third Street between Rainier Avenue South and Burnett Avenue South beginning in early September.

The 40-year-old trees have displaced sidewalks and curbs, and new sidewalks and curbs will be installed.

Twenty-three new “Steeple” trees, a variety of sugar maple, will be planted as replacements. The new trees will be planted in larger sidewalk cut-outs to avoid future sidewalk and curb problems. The trees will grow to a medium size when mature and will be planted in spaces that reduce conflicts with business signs, parking stalls, street lights and overhanging store canopies, according to the city.

In addition, 10 street trees will be planted along side streets to replace “Crimson Sentry” Norway maples that have recently died from a leaf disease. One tree will also be planted at the Piazza Park in downtown Renton.  Additional plantings include six trees on Shattuck Avenue South, two trees on Whitworth Avenue South and two trees on Morris Avenue South.

The downtown area is within the City Center Planning Area and was identified in the 2011 Urban Tree Canopy Assessment as having the least canopy cover of the nine planning areas. Sixty-seven street trees were planted in the North Renton neighborhood as part of the city’s annual Arbor Day celebration in April. That project together with the Third Street Project will result in 100 street trees being planted during 2012 to contribute to the goal of attaining a 40 percent canopy cover for the city center, according to the city.