Hiawatha Reddy Rents
A group of volunteers added a pollution-filtering rain garden to a previously drab stretch of roadway.
Project Details
City: Minneapolis
Type: Community Grant (formerly Mini Grant)
Status: Completed
Timeline: 2015
MWMO Funding: $3,000
Partners: Longfellow Business Association; Smiling Dog Design; True Nature Design
Adam Flett
Communications and Outreach Specialist
612-746-4988
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A grant to the Longfellow Business Association funded a series of new stormwater control measures along a heavily traveled section of Hiawatha Avenue in South Minneapolis. A rain garden, a pair of dry wells and a dry creek bed installed at the Hiawatha Reddy Rents site are designed to handle up to 1.5 inches of rainfall (approximately 1,600 gallons of water) in a 24-hour period. They also add luster and charm to a previously drab stretch of urban arterial roadway.
The project team turned the rain garden planting into a community event, offering volunteers the chance to learn from Master Water Stewards and gain experience installing stormwater control measures. In addition to co-funding the project, the family owners of Hiawatha Reddy Rents made use of their own rental equipment to speed up the construction process.