Recreation fields selected for sustainability pilot project

Grand Valley State University’s proposed student recreation fields and wetlands project has been accepted in a program that hopes to create national guidelines for sustainable land design.

The Sustainable Site Initiative Program is an interdisciplinary effort by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the U.S. Botanic Garden to create voluntary national guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable land design, construction and maintenance practices.

The proposed student recreation fields project at Grand Valley encompasses approximately 65 acres of land development. The three-phase project includes an aggressive stormwater management system, new rugby field, lacrosse field, 300-meter track, two softball fields, track throws area, picnic shelters, and a concessions/locker rooms/scoring building.
 
A 44-acre wetland complex will be constructed for treatment of stormwater runoff generated from the project and the surrounding campus. Captured stormwater in underground detention, as well as the wetland complex, will be reused in the campus irrigation system. Future walking trails, and overlook structures within the wetland complex will provide recreational opportunities for students and the surrounding community.

More than 150 pilot projects are participating in the two-year program; feedback and practices will be used to revise a performance rating system and solve site problems. For more information visit
www.sustainablesites.org/pilot/

For more information contact James Moyer, assistant vice president for Facilities Planning, at (616) 331-3853.