*Rendering credit: SCB

At this year’s American Planning Association of Illinois (APA-IL) Conference, Eriksson Engineering Associates, Ltd. (EEA), Solomon Cordwell Benz (SCB), the Village of Hillside, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) delivered a panel presentation, “Placemaking Through Stormwater Infrastructure and Economic Development.”

The design team, who worked together on a 70-acre commercial development site in Hillside, Illinois, shared their project experience and best practices for successfully designing an economic development in a flood-prone area. The Village of Hillside and the MWRD focused on budget-related issues, specifically the MWRD’s funding of the project.

During the project, EEA’s design team proposed managing stormwater through a large retention basin resembling a natural pond. Ben Ahring, PE, represented EEA for the panel, and explained the stormwater management strategy:

“The goal of the design was to use the water to create an amenity, while maximizing the site’s buildable area outside of the floodplain,” said Ahring, EEA senior project manager and the civil engineering consultant on the project. “The project’s application of stormwater management systems and development of a private public partnership offer some valuable lessons when managing urban flooding.”

The Village of Hillside is currently working with the MWRD and potential developers to fund the remaining phases of the project.

To learn more about the presentation and the speakers, visit the APA-IL’s program overview.