Opportunity Crossing Water Reuse and Green Stormwater Infrastructure

An MWMO grant to Project for Pride in Living (PPL) will support a rainwater harvesting system, infiltration tank and other green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) at its multi-use affordable housing development located at 3030 Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis.

The new building will replace a former Wells Fargo branch that was damaged during civil unrest in 2020 and then demolished. The project will construct 110 units of affordable housing and affordable commercial condos that will be sold to local entrepreneurs, along with a new Wells Fargo branch.

Grant funds will be used to support the final design and installation of the stormwater and habitat features at the site. The main feature is a rainwater harvesting system that will use reclaimed stormwater runoff from the building’s roof for toilet flushing and irrigation. The system is sized to provide enough water for 70 percent of the building’s needs, saving an estimated 330,000 gallons of potable water per year and reducing annual operating costs by $3,833.

Additionally, an underground stormwater infiltration tank will collect stormwater runoff from the property and from the adjacent parking lot next door. Other planned features include a rain garden that will treat runoff from the roof overflow drains, pollinator-friendly plantings, low-mow fescue grass and native vegetation, and a permeable paver patio area. Signage or other interpretive elements are planned for the site to educate residents and visitors about the building’s stormwater management features.