Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Assn Garage Demo

Minneapolis’ Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood drains directly into the Mississippi River, a TMDL Impaired Water of the U.S. Pollution of the Mississippi River has been shown to result primarily from stormwater runoff. To show neighborhood residents what they can do in their own “backyards” to help improve water quality of the nearby Mississippi River, The Kestrel Design Group led the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood in securing funding for and implementing the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Rainwater Resource Recycling Demonstration Project. Made possible by a generous grant from the Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization, the project includes design and installation of numerous rainbarrels and raingardens, installed by neighborhood volunteers, a pervious pavement parking area and a green roof installed by contractors, as well as extensive community education presented in many forms.

The Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Rainwater Resource Recycling Demonstration Project’s demonstration green roof is a pre-grown Xero Flor XF301 Vegetated Roof System, that weighs only 11 lbs/square foot saturated. Installed on a residential garage, the green roof is visible from the adjacent alley as well as from the street that leads into the alley, and catches the eye of many passers-by who are surprised to see vegetation growing on this garage roof. The owner of the roof reports that the garage has become much more comfortable to work in on hot summer days since the green roof was installed.

The Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood was recently nominated one of the top 10 eco-neighborhoods in America.

For more images or for more information about the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Rainwater Resource Recycling Demonstration Project , see http://www.marcy-holmes.org/projects/rainwater/index.html and http://www.kestreldesigngroup.com/portfolio_project.cfm?project_ID=18&category_ID=18