Children’s Dental Services

This nonprofit replaced an old asphalt parking lot with a 4,200-square-foot permeable paver system.

Children's Dental Services' East Hennepin Avenue location in Northeast Minneapolis.

The condition of the parking lot on May 16, 2016.

The new permeable paver parking lot, as seen during construction Nov. 7, 2016.

A closeup of the custom pavers and the aggregate base during construction.

Workers from Nelco Landscaping laying base aggregate and finishing the concrete pad on Nov. 1, 2016.

Project Details

City: Minneapolis

Type: Community Grant (formerly Mini Grant), Planning Grant, Action Grant

Status: Completed

Timeline: 2016-2017

MWMO Funding: $61,885

Partners: Belgard; Children’s Dental Services; Hedberg Aggregates; Nelco Landscaping; Urban Ecosystems, LLC

Staff Contact:

Adam Flett
Outreach – Project Manager
612-746-4988
Email Adam Flett
View Bio

This nonprofit dental care provider for low-income families replaced the old asphalt parking lot at its East Hennepin Avenue location with 4,200 square feet of permeable pavers. Beneath the new parking area, a pair of infiltration cells captures, stores and infiltrates nearly all of the site’s annual stormwater runoff, including water diverted from the building’s roof.

Previously, the site shed all of its runoff into the alley behind the fence, sending pollutants like phosphorus and sediment flowing into nearby storm drains. The new system captures and treats these pollutants on site. Children’s Dental Services believes that environmental sustainability measures support its larger social justice mission.

During the course of three years, the project team utilized all three types of MWMO Stewardship Fund grants. A Mini Grant funded soil testing and analysis, a Planning Grant funded the design and an Action Grant helped fund the actual construction.