Greenpoint Industrial Environmental Improvement Program

In 2015, through a competitive process, Evergreen received a GCEF grant for $34,260 (and provided $12,627 in matching funds) to engage Greenpoint industrial businesses to research, design, and implement green infrastructure improvements that would provide visible and quantifiable benefits for the community’s environment. Green infrastructure incorporates both the natural environment and engineered systems – such as rain gardens, bioswales, permeable pavements, and green roofs – to provide habitat, flood protection, and cleaner air and water. Goals of the project included: conducting outreach to owners of local industrial businesses to identify interest in participating in the program, and then, with project partner eDesign Dynamics, conducting initial feasibility studies at select businesses to identify where green infrastructure would be cost-effective, environmentally-beneficial, and offer public access opportunities. The project originally sought to select two to four businesses to receive support for design and construction of green infrastructure improvements.

In November 2017, the project was amended to focus its support for design and construction of green infrastructure improvements to one business, as the initial feasibility analysis identified only a single viable participant.

In March 2018, the project was terminated when the planned improvements at the selected business were ultimately determined to be incompatible with the site. The project team and the business developed a concept for a removable demonstration rain garden in the courtyard of a publicly-accessible building. However, following the development of a conceptual design, the building owners decided that the rain garden would conflict with the use of the space. Before the project’s termination, GCEF allocated $34,260 to fund outreach to local businesses, perform initial feasibility analyses of potential sites, and develop a concept design for the selected site. The remainder of the GCEF grant award was returned to the general GCEF fund to be used for other grant projects. Based on the knowledge and experience gained through this project, Evergreen continues to conduct outreach to educate industrial businesses and property owners in Greenpoint about the benefits of green infrastructure.

• Reached out to over 650 Greenpoint-based industrial businesses through public information sessions, door-to-door canvassing, e-blasts, and other social media outreach about green infrastructure’s benefits to businesses and the community’s environment
• Conducted 15 initial site visits to assess the potential for green infrastructure implementation
• Conducted 9 follow-up feasibility studies with project partner eDesign Dynamics
• Worked with 1 business to develop a conceptual design for a green infrastructure project
• Raised awareness within Greenpoint’s industrial community about the benefits of green infrastructure to their businesses and the local environment

• Greenpoint Industrial Environmental Improvement Program: Feasibility Site Visit Notes