Towerside District Stormwater System

The District Stormwater System at Towerside, the MSP Innovation District, will capture and store runoff draining from a roughly two-block area next to the Prospect Park light rail station, near the University of Minnesota. In addition to treating the stormwater to remove pollutants, the system will create opportunities for reusing captured stormwater for purposes like irrigation and industrial use.

A first-of-its-kind project, the system is the result of a voluntary agreement between four private developers (owning adjacent properties) to manage stormwater runoff jointly rather than separately. This shared “district” approach to stormwater management will save the property owners money while creating more effective, cost-efficient and eco-friendly stormwater treatments. The MWMO facilitated the agreement between the landowners and is providing $1.3 million to supplement the owners’ investment in stormwater infrastructure.

The stormwater system is the first of a more extensive “district system” envisioned throughout Towerside, the MSP Innovation District. The district system design integrates infrastructure to facilitate sustainability and resilience for the community while adding new public amenities like green space. The stormwater system is also a component of the larger redevelopment of Fourth Street, which is known as “Green Fourth.”

See more photos of this project on Flickr.

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Visit the Towerside District Stormwater Management planning page