Reed Street Yards Global Water Technology Park

A Project of Partnerships & Cooperation: Balancing Natural Resources & Economic Development
Joshua Neudorfer Milwaukee, Wisconsin April 2013

The Historic Menomonee River Valley

Many Famous Companies Were Located in the Menomonee Valley

Reed Street Yards Today

View East

Stakeholders & Partners

Atlas Development Site Owner General Capital - Developer City of Milwaukee Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District Fund for Lake Michigan Milwaukee Water Council

Surrounding Property Owners, Consultants, et al.

The Project Site Reed Street Yards

17 Acres Industrial Rezoned as the RSY Development Incentive Zone (DIZ) Pre-historically this was Menomonee Valley Estuary with wild rice, water fowl, and diverse flora and fauna Industrial History Dates back to the Second Half of 1800s
General Warehousing Gypsum Company Iron Scrap Yard Rail Yard Vermiculate Exfoliation Facility Furnace Warehouse Asbestos Warehouse Salt, Lime, and Sulfate Storage Tannery Facilities Gasoline Filling Station at the Street

Purchased by the current land owner in the early 1990s Current owner has been actively and incrementally been moving the project closer to redevelopment Formed a development partnership with General Capital in the last few years

Aerial 1957 Reed Street Yards

View West South Menomonee Canal

Reed Street Yards The Big Picture Vision

Create a World Class, Global Water Technology Business Park
Adds new Business, Jobs, and Technology to Milwaukee Improves the Environment on which it is built Provides Public Access to the waterfront Increase Local & Regional Property Values Financially Successful

The Big Picture Vision

Global Water Technology Park
A Redevelopment Project Consistent with the vision established in the Water Councils Mission
To align the regional fresh water research community and waterrelated industries to establish the Milwaukee region as the World Water Hub for water research, economic development, and education.

International, National, and Regional Businesses Incubator Businesses Academic Institutions Research & Development

The Vision Important Details

Demonstration Elements
Storm water Native Landscape, Bio-infiltration, Phyto-Remediation, Porous Pavements, Urban Canopy Potential De-centralized Sanitary Treatment the Purple Pipe Innovative Technologies & Products Educational Signage & Education Opportunities

Sustainable Design Approach

Master Storm Water Plan Building Design Standards LEED Metrics Indigenous Plant Reintroduction Menomonee Valley Palette

Improved Public Access

Hank Aaron State Trail Extension Urban Plaza South Menomonee Canal Overlook, canoe & kayak launch, stabilization

Redevelopment Planning
City Led Planning Effort - Development Incentive Zone (DIZ) Standard Established Developer Team Project Vision Milwaukee Water Council/International Water Association (IWA) Design Charrette WDNR Voluntary Party Liability Protection (VPLE) Program Participation Funding
Private Investment TIF Grants Technology Partnerships

Design Considerations
Future and Existing Infrastructure Needs Future and Existing Parking Needs Trail System Connections Infrastructure v. Building-Centric Sustainability Considerations Water Quality & Storm Water Improvement Opportunities Canal & Dock Wall Improvements & Water Access Urban Canopy Density & Landscape Planting Strategies Real Estate Requirements and Physical Space Constraints Vehicular and Pedestrian Access Cost Effective Design Value Creation

Remedial Action Plan

Reduce and manage residual PAH, VOC, RCRA Metal, and Chloride concentrations in soil and groundwater; Groundwater Remediation by Natural Attenuation; Engineered Barriers Installation; Phytoremediation & intelligent landscape design - Increase Vegetative Uptake; Soil Stabilization and Canal sheet-pile wall repair; Manage Soil Hotspots; Methane Mitigation.

Storm Water Management Strategies

The Now Engineered Bioswales; Stormwater treatment trains; Porous pavement; Phytoremediation plantings; Increased urban canopy; and Vegetated soil stabilization zones; Imagine The Future Sustainable Design Building Guidelines Living Roofs & Walls Rainwater Collection & Reuse Solar Power Heat Reclamation . . .

Thinking Hard About Water Sustainability Solutions and Demonstration Projects The International Water Association Design Charrette

Start Big, Raise the Bar

IWA Design Charrette Great Ideas

Achieve the maximum aesthetic value from all water and energy elements to enhance livability and value to the developer Accommodate the requirements of development economics and performance metrics Address needs and challenges expected from climate change Identify research opportunities within the project to complement the technology demonstrations Integrate commercial and residential development properties into the project Manage the project using intelligent sensors and systems to optimize demand timing and water source selection for lowering peaks, reduced energy consumption, and optimal use of available capacity Incorporate heated effluent from the power plant for thermal energy needs and evaluate additional off-site uses Incorporate thermal energy to heat roads and eliminate the use of salt Take advantage of the cooling benefits of locating power plant effluent piping in the canal Consider demonstration of bio-plastics technology for the black-water stream Consider creating a green infrastructure utility loop with north-south access points along the road corridor Consider a utilidor Address LEED and other certification issues raised by the project and overall development (e.g. ISI ENVISION certification) Identify the limitations on use of graywater that has been treated to a higher water quality Evaluate feasibility of utilizing the canal as a reservoir component Evaluate how options are impacted by current utility regulations and standards, e.g., recycled water reuse limitations Address the network and control issues Develop a decision tree for future adaptation options and early, zero-regret actions

The Smart Water Community Concept

Water supply < 30 % of normal consumption

DWTP

Drinking, cooking, personal hygiene Washing and cleaning

Possibly urinals

GWTP

Organic kitchen waste

RWTP
Monitoring and control

Toilet flushing Out-door uses, irrigation

BWTP

Rainwater harvesting Stormwater collection

Bio-soil fertilizer
Energy recovery

Infiltration

Heatpump

Emergency overflow

Park with constructed reservoir/pond for storage, selfpurification and recreation

Conceptual Model
Gray-Water Pipeline Multi-Functional Water Treatment & Energy Recovery Facility

Power Plant

Future Tannery Residential

Future Commercial

Gray-Water Pipeline

The Purple Pipe Infrastructure

Secondary water line return Purple = recycled water vs. Blue = Municipally supplied potable water Routes treated water back for reuse Recycled water may be sent to:
Natural waters Irrigation Industrial water Chiller or other closed loop water system Toilet water Other non-potable sources

In other parts of the world purple is treated sufficiently to reintroduce as a percentage of total potable water

Storm Water Innovation Plaza

Continued Challenges
Dock wall tie back hindrances Fill and geotechnically unsuitable soils Numerous stake holders Historic infrastructure Former river meander Shallow water table Easement & utilities Project Costs The Real Estate Market And so on . . .