GREEN TECH STATION

An Environmental Education Destination

History & Background

Image of site prior to redevelopment.
Photographed facing south towards W. Capitol Drive.

The City of Milwaukee acquired this approx. 3 acre brownfield site at 4101 N. 31st Street and began environmental cleanup in 2016. Then Northwest Side CDC and other partners got involved to raise funds to reimagine the space into a green infrastructure destination in Milwaukee’s 30th Street Industrial Corridor. NWSCDC leases the property and is able to coordinate programming and visits.

Green Infrastructure

Green Tech Station is able to capture over 100,000 gallons of stormwater every time it rains. Stormwater enters the site through inlets on N. 31st Street and then flows through bioswales and the green infrastructure system. Ultimately, the water ends up in an underground cistern and is able to be pumped out to irrigate the trees on the site.

Green Infrastructure Features Include:

Green Tech Station 2018 Blox Party.JPG — 20,000 gallon underground cistern and pump system

Click HERE to take a guided tour of all the features of Green Tech Station with this virtual story map, developed by UW Extension!

Product Demonstration, Testing & Research

A plaza space contains 30 test cells for companies and researchers to demonstrate and test various water technologies and products. We are working with The Water Council to connect with companies interested in utilizing these test cells or running other kinds of water-focused experiments on site.

If you are interested in conducting research at Green Tech Station, fill out this ONLINE APPLICATION FORM. Successful applicants will detail their water-based research question and how they will carry out their experiment or test. A special focus should be to monitor and gauge the effectiveness of various green infrastructure technologies and ultimately add to the body of knowledge around innovative stormwater management strategies and solutions.

Marquette University and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are already researching topics related to water quality, microplastics, and bioswale media on site.

Plus, a number of test cells have already been filled with a variety of permeable materials, particularly groundcovers that are present at nearby schoolyard redevelopments. Visitors are able to use an infiltrometer device to test the efficiency of these materials and run other side-by-side experiments in real world conditions.

Questions can be directed to Sarah Bregant, NWSCDC’s Planning & Community Development Manager, by emailing sarah.b@nwscdc.org or calling 414-444-8200 ext. 8104

Outdoor Classroom

An open-air pavilion and 10 benches are located permanently on site for use by visiting groups. The space is accessible to schools, environmental education organizations, community groups, and others for programming, visits, tours, and other events. There is no cost to reserve the space.