Metropolitan Water Reclamation District & Village of Robbins
Robbins Stormwater Park
Robbins Stormwater Park is the first phase in the realization of our planning team’s award-winning Vision for Robbins Master Plan. Once completed, the park will serve as a combination of resilient infrastructure, accommodating the 100-year storm event, and as a vibrant recreational and social space for the Village of Robbins. In addition to the stormwater management features and park framework elements that will be immediately implemented, Living Habitats’ planning work allows for the Village to include additional park amenities and features as the adjacent Transit-Oriented Development District and Energy District defined in the Master Plan grow and evolve.
The newly created 41.5-acre park will serve as high intensity green and blue infrastructure, paving the way for future Village redevelopment and a reestablished tax base for the community. While the main goals for this project are to address stormwater needs and reduce severe flooding that is one of the major causes of community decline, the stormwater park will also provide the community with much needed local park space and amenities such as trails, overlooks with educational signage, opportunities to appreciate the park’s ecological value, community gathering spaces, and a direct connection to the Cal-Sag Channel.
Working closely with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), the Village of Robbins, and other members of the design team, Living Habitats was instrumental in the establishment of a project-specific planning and design review policy while supporting broader efforts to build governmental capacity within the Village. Financial support for the project has required a series of grants and opportunity funds, each with their own exclusive set of coordination efforts with agencies, foundations, and funding sources. Upon completion of project construction, the team will work with federal and state agencies to revise flood maps to alleviate high-risk flood designations within the Village.
Living Habitats has worked closely with the project team throughout the planning, design development, and construction oversight processes, which include site visits, field reports, community presentations, and project management responsibilities, such as contractor submittal and RFI reviews. Design for the park itself has involved robust community engagement and has required a longer vision, balancing current needs with potential future amenities that will serve the community now as well as future generations.
Location:
Robbins, Illinois
Date:
2017 – Present
Team:
DONOHUE
2iM
OAI
VILLAGE OF ROBBINS
UIC (Planning Phase)
SOM (Planning Phase)
