Sigma helps transform brownfield into water technology park
milwaukee
Located on the south bank of the Menomonee Canal with over 1,000 feet of water frontage, Reed Street Yards: Global Water Technology Park is ideally situated to become a Milwaukee area icon. The project is adjacent to the Harley-Davidson Museum, Iron Horse Hotel, and The Water Council Accelerator Center. Reed Street Yards sits immediately below the award-winning 6th Street Viaduct with excellent sight lines to Interstate 94.
Reed Street Yards is a mixed-use urban office and technology park focused on the international water industry. Milwaukee is a global leader in water-related business, education, and research with over 150 companies and institutions heavily involved in the industry. Over time, Reed Street Yards will house over 700,000 square feet of facilities and serve as the physical hub and brain of the Milwaukee water cluster.
The Sigma Group completed all environmental and civil engineering for the site, transforming the blighted brownfield into a development ready location. Civil engineering included design of the following:
- Entire public infrastructure system including roads and utilities
- Plaza and extension of the Hank Aaron State Trail through the site
- Master stormwater system and dock wall rehabilitation
Consistent with its future tenants and use, Reed Street Yards was designed to showcase green infrastructure and sustainable site design. The design process engaged many local, private, and public partners to ensure that the project incorporated green infrastructure including:
- Plaza water feature using adjacent canal water with microfiltration as source rather than domestic water.
- Multiple porous pavement materials in street right-of-way for storm water.
- Bioinfiltration basins incorporated into streetscape design to provide stormwater treatment element with an aesthetic design.
- Design and installation of “purple pipe” to allow the development to incorporate wastewater