MWMO Announces Four Projects to Receive Planning Grants

ASK, Children’s Dental Services, First Lutheran Church and Kingfield Neighborhood Receive Funding for Stewardship Projects.

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MINNEAPOLIS — The Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO) announced today that it has awarded four new Planning Grants for projects that will help protect water quality and improve habitat through stormwater management and education. Grantees include ASK, Children’s Dental Services, First Lutheran Church Columbia Heights, and the Kingfield Neighborhood Association.

Planning Grants help organizations plan, design and prepare for future water quality and habitat restoration projects. Part of the MWMO’s Stewardship Fund Grant program, Planning Grants support the development of technically-sound project designs and effective outreach that will help improve water quality through pollutant removal, effective public education, or other creative ways that encourage stewardship of our water resources.

Grant funding is awarded through a competitive process. The MWMO is currently accepting new grant applications for its related Mini Grant and Action Grant programs (details below).

New Planning Grant Projects

Drawing Water — Visualizing the B3 Standards and Minimal Impact Design Standards (MIDS) by the Minnesota Stormwater Manual — $10,000

Grantee: ASK

ASK is a nonprofit organization formed to address environmental and social questions that are often outside the scope of traditional architectural or engineering projects. This grant seeks to create a companion illustrative tool for the Minnesota B3 Site and Water Guidelines and the Minimal Impact Design Standards (MIDS) that focuses on early design stage decision-making for water systems at the district, site, and building scales. The goal is to create a common graphic language that both design professionals and non-professionals can use to understand current conditions, communicate alternative conceptual designs, and reach consensus on the best stormwater management approach. Planning Grant funding will support development of a common water language tool, peer review, and community engagement.

Partners: The Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR); the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA); Wenck Engineering; Snow Kreilich Architects; TEN x TEN Landscape Architecture and Urbanism; Michaud Cooley Erickson Engineering; University of Minnesota College of Design; University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC); and others

Improving Water Quality through Permeable Materials and Community Engagement in Northeast Minneapolis — $10,000

Grantee: Children’s Dental Services

Children’s Dental Services, a nonprofit dental care provider for low-income families, is seeking funding to design the replacement of their asphalt parking lot with permeable pavement at their Broadway Street NE office. Planning Grant funding will support a design team to complete green infrastructure design and construction documentation for the site. The project builds on partnerships and knowledge forged during a similar water quality project at Children’s Dental Services’ East Hennepin Avenue facility.

Partners: Urban Ecosystems; Alm Design Studios

First Lutheran Church of Columbia Heights Stormwater Mitigation Project — $10,000

Grantee: First Lutheran Church

First Lutheran Church of Columbia Heights, which serves community meals and has a community garden, would like to manage and filter stormwater from its large parking lot and other impervious surfaces. Potential options identified include a filtration basin, filtration trenches, an above-ground cistern for watering the vegetable garden, and native plantings. Planning grant funding will support site investigations (e.g., soil borings) and design of stormwater management components.

Partners: Tesfa International School (Charter School tenant at First Lutheran Church); First Lutheran Church After School Program; HeightsNEXT; and Earth Wizards, Inc.

Stormwater Management and Rainwater Use Implementation Strategies for Small Multi-Use Buildings — $10,000

Grantee: Kingfield Neighborhood Association

This grant will fund civil engineering services to design a high-performance rainwater capture, treatment, storage and reuse system for the Sundial Building — a planned 12-unit, new construction apartment building on a vacant lot in South Minneapolis. A collaboration between public, private, and nonprofit entities, it will provide an opportunity to explore innovative stormwater treatment options at a small infill lot for multi-family housing with a large amount of impervious surface area. Planning grant funding will support the engineering services and  the development of a short guide of prescriptive stormwater management techniques, as well as the range of building sizes and site size these techniques can serve. This guide will include exploring design, regulatory approvals, and cost estimation associated with the stormwater management techniques.

Partners: Heirloom Properties; Incremental Development Alliance; Civil Site Group

MWMO Accepting Applications for Action Grants and Mini Grants

The MWMO is currently accepting applications for two other Stewardship Fund Grant programs, with deadlines coming up later this year.

Action Grants

Action Grants are available to complete a water quality and stewardship project that is significant in scope and cost. A project proposed for an Action Grant should demonstrate that thorough planning for the proposed project has already taken place.

Application Deadline: Friday, November 6, 2020, by 4:30 p.m.

Learn more: https://www.mwmo.org/get-involved/stewardship-fund-grants/action-grants/

Mini Grants

Mini Grants are available for short-term or small-scale water quality projects. The grant amount may not exceed $3,000. No matching funds are required.

Application Deadline: Friday, December 4, 2020, by 4:30 p.m.

Learn more: https://www.mwmo.org/get-involved/stewardship-fund-grants/mini-grants/

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Media Contact

Nick Busse, Communications Principal
Mississippi Watershed Management Organization
Direct: 612-746-4974
nbusse@mwmo.org