Meriden, Connecticut
The Meriden Green
Client: City of Meriden
Provided Services:
A century-old problem
For decades upon decades, the City of Meriden faced repeated and significant flooding throughout its downtown area. The catastrophic floods not only caused financial issues for the city, businesses, and residents, it created a downtown that struggled to be economically viable. In the 1990s, the city decided to put forth a new revitalization effort, but they knew they needed a plan. Milone & MacBroom was retained in 1996 to work with city officials to create a flood control plan for the entire 15-square-mile Harbor Brook watershed. Numerous flood control strategies were considered to alleviate the stress of flooding for the city as a whole and specifically for the downtown area.
A collaboration with the city
As the plans progressed through the concept and design stages, our team began to provide creative solutions and to look for areas of opportunity for the city to alleviate flooding on Harbor Brook. The HUB, an abandoned former mall with acres of parking, built atop a brownfield in the heart of the city, fit the bill. The team worked collaboratively to work through the complexities of design and permitting of the 15 Acre project. The result was a plan that created a new city green that retains over 60-acre feet of floodwater. The project has been described as one of the most complex regulatory permits ever approved through the State of Connecticut.
The project's impact
Once constructed, the project has become the catalyst for the revitalization of the City of Meriden. The community is coming together to enjoy this public space, and the expansive “Silver City Bridge” now connects pedestrians in the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods to the brand new intermodal transportation center. The accessibility of the green to downtown Meriden and its proximity to the train station makes it an ideal location for existing and new businesses to grow and thrive. Holding to the original vision, the completed Meriden Green is the crown jewel of the city’s current and ongoing flood control and revitalization efforts. The finished park is a prime example of what is possible when a truly collaborative design team matches the vision and commitment of a strong local proponent.
The Meriden Green project enabled present and future economic development efforts that combined will result in an investment of over $250 million in the City’s downtown area in new housing and commercial development.
A look at the finished product
The Meriden Green has also received the following professional awards and recognitions:
Water/Environment “Award of Merit” from ENR New England as part of “Best Projects 2017” competition
2017 Sustainability ACE Award from the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers
2017 Greencircle Sustainability Award from the Hartford Business Journal and CTDEEP
Celebrate Connecticut Award from the Connecticut Economic Resource Center
Featured in The Architect’s Newspaper “Six of America’s best new public spaces of the last year” by Selina Cheah
2017 Water Resources ACE Award from the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers
2017 CT Main Street Catalyst Award from Connecticut Main Street Center
Distinguished Service Award from the Connecticut Association of Street and Highway Officials
Featured in Civil Engineering magazine article “Green Guardian” by James MacBroom and Mark Arigoni
Featured in O&G Stylish Spaces magazine article “A Walk in the Park” by Mark Arigoni