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Menomonee Valley Industrial Site Milwaukee, Wisconsin from the Fall 2006 Building Better Report A Wasteland Made Green The former rail yard and manufacturing center in the Menomonee Valley had long been an environmental wasteland until a $20 million cleanup project of this Brownfield site was completed in 2004.(1) It took nearly two dozen state and federal Brownfield grants to address the environmental hazards -- from free petroleum to arsenic, asbestos and other contaminants on the site. Now that the site is clean, portions of the 1,200 acre space in the heart of Milwaukee are slated for light industrial redevelopment and a business park. Already on the site, Harley-Davidson, Inc. is building a $95 million motorcycle museum, and Palermo Villa, Inc., a frozen pizza company, is currently developing a 14 acre site.(2) Caleffi North America, a division of an Italian company manufacturing hydronic systems, plans to build a 35,000-square-foot plant, while Badger Railing, which makes ornamental iron products, is planning an 18,400-square-foot building to house 41 employees. (3) Water Woes Worries over stormwater management heavily influenced the Menomonee Valley development after heavy rains overwhelmed the Milwaukee sewer system in 2004, dumping 1.7 billion gallons of raw sewage into Lake Michigan. (4) During the same period, surrounding communities released another 5.1 million gallons of sewage into the lake, which is a drinking water source for more than 10 million people. (5,6) The relatively small drainage area of the lower Menomonee and Milwaukee Rivers contributes disproportionately large amounts of pollutants associated with urban runoff and are designated as "areas of concern," meaning that the water quality impairments affect recreation, fish consumption and drinking water. (7) Stormwater Park In an effort to improve stormwater management practices, a stormwater park has been created on 70 acres of the Menomonee Valley site, which runs along the Menomonee River. The park which will feature natural areas, open space, playing fields, and the Hank Aaron State Trail, is expected to capture every drop of rain that falls on the business park. The native plants, woodlands and new topography will detain flood water and clean stormwater from the new commercial and industrial area that would otherwise drain into the river. Two large smokestacks from the original rail yard on the site have been left standing, and serve as a visual contrast to link Milwaukee's future to its industrial past. The site plan for the park has been recognized for excellence by the American Society of Landscape Architects. City Leadership Combating Stormwater Runoff The city is answering the wake up call of tragic floods which overwhelmed Milwaukee in 1997 and 1998, costing several lives and $35 million in damages. The stormwater park is only one part of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's initiative to control flooding and implement better stormwater management practices. Among other strategies, he plans to reduce stormwater runoff from city properties through the use of green roofs, rain gardens, and native plantings along roadways and public green spaces. Footnotes: "City Completes Largest Environmental Clean Up in History," City of Milwaukee, Department of City Development. November 28, 2004. "City Needs to be Open to Hotel, Retail Uses Near Menomonee Valley," The Business Journal of Milwaukee, Editorial. May 6, 2005. Daykin, Tom. "2 Companies Plan Move to Valley, Manufacturers Seeking Land in City Industrial Park," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 3, 2006. Schultze, Steve and Marie Rohde, "MMSD Lowers Dumping Estimate, Only 1.7 Billion Gallons of Sewage Discharged, it says." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 24, 2005. Sandler, Larry. "DNR Calls for Legal Action in MMSD Dumps," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, August 2, 2004. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, "Lake Michigan." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern." Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club