Peoria converts vacant land into flourishing stormwater farm
Vacant land in Peoria, IL was transformed into green stormwater infrastructure that reduces sewage overflow while providing residents access to fresh produce, job training, and a safe community gathering place.
Newsworthy
Close Navigation
The saying goes "When it rains it pours." And when it pours, the rainfall causes lots of issues in the River City.
Close Navigation
"Growing" Stormwater Solutions (and Local Residents' Skills) - City of Peoria Stormwater Utility
Peoria has a special farm where bioswales, a stormwater forest and other green infrastructure absorbs excess stormwater and helps prevent sewer overflows.
"Growing" Stormwater Solutions (and Local Residents' Skills) - City of Peoria Stormwater Utility
Peoria Journal Star
Peoria Journal Star
A Blueprint for Financing Green Stormwater Infrastructure | Conservation Finance Network
In a few Rust Belt cities that are seeking economic and social benefits, Greenprint Partners – formerly known as Fresh Coast Capital – is breaking new ground by financing fresh solutions for green stormwater infrastructure. It is using a combination of municipal, private and government resources. Its goals are to create a replicable model and expand the market.
A Blueprint for Financing Green Stormwater Infrastructure | Conservation Finance Network
In Peoria, Green Infrastructure As a Path to Social Equity
A first-of-its-kind project to divert stormwater, expand green space and create jobs.
In Peoria, Green Infrastructure As a Path to Social Equity
Highlights
The trees and plants at the Well Farm capture runoff from a 1.5 acre area, preventing an estimated 1.3 million gallons of stormwater from entering Peoria’s sewer system each year.
The Well Farm gathering place delivers $1.50 in economic activity for every $1 invested and has already created 30 full-time jobs.
The Well Farm is the winner of the 2019 U.S. Water Alliance U.S. Water Prize, the 2019 Illinois Green Alliance Emerald Award, and the 2019 Sun Foundation Making Waves Award.
The Well Farm project will capture more than 3000 pounds of harmful air pollutants over the next 30 years, and save more than $8,000 in public health expenses.
Summary
The Vacant Land
Sewer Overflows in an Impoverished Food Desert
South Peoria, the portion of the city that makes up zip code 61605, is $ one of the 100 poorest zip codes in the country$ . The city's sewer system regularly overflows causing flooding in this area and sending polluted stormwater into the Illinois River. The impoverished neighborhoods most impacted by the flooding are home to the city's most concentrated minority population.
The city of $ Peoria has been working the Environmental Protection Agency$ $ $ to eliminate these sewer overflows with the long-term goal of becoming the first city with 100% green stormwater infrastructure. The city teamed up with $ Greenprint Partners$ , a Chicago-based green infrastructure delivery partner, to secure a grant from the $ United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) $ program. Their proposal involved building green stormwater infrastructure on vacant property in the area. This project called "The Well Farm" would address not only the sewer overflows but also $ the city's largest food desert$ by bringing urban agriculture into the nieghborhood.
The Well Farm
Community-Driven Green Infrastructure and Urban Agriculture
The Well Farm project was established with a $1 million CIG program grant awarded to Greenprint Partners, also known as Fresh Coast Capital, and the city of Peoria. Other partners involved in the project's development included $ AKRF$ , a New York-based engineering consulting firm, the Gifts in the Moment (GITM) Foundation a local faith-based, urban agriculture, non-profit and a coalition of community members. The project was designed to transform the vacant lot in $ Voris Field located at 1013 SW Reed Avenue$ into a stormwater forest. A $ public groundbreaking$ was conducted at the site in October 2017 and the Well Farm was $ officially opened to the public$ in June 2018.
According to Greenprint Partners, the design of the Well Farm is diverse and robust including:
$ "...a hybrid poplar stormwater forest, 100 raised garden beds that are home to an urban agriculture apprenticeship program, flowering bioswales, and space for public gatherings."$
The produce raised through this agriculture apprenticeship program is sold by local farmers markets at the Riverfront Market partially addressing a serious food shortage in the area. The green infrastructure across the 1.5 acre area that makes up the Well Farm prevents $ an estimated 1.3 million gallons of stormwater$ from entering the city's sewer system each year. This flourishing community gathering place has already created 30 full-time jobs, $ 20 internships annually$ , and $ delivers a direct 150% return on any investment$ in terms of local economic activity.
According the Kari Cohen, Branch Chief of the Conservation Innovations Team at the $ Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)$ the Well Farm represents a blueprint for other national community-driven green infrastructure projects:
$ “This Well Farm project exemplifies the type of innovation that we want to support through the Conservation Innovation Grants program. The integration of green infrastructure, agriculture and agroforestry has the potential to deliver enormous benefits to Peoria and similar communities throughout the nation.”$