North Lawndale Community Garden
S-E corner of Ogden Avenue and Kostner Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Phase I of this proposed community garden at the corner of Ogden and Kostner will not only remediate and restore a 16,900 square foot industrial brownfield but also provide programmed community space within an enclosed safe area. A collaborative project between the residents of North Lawndale and Healthcare Alternative Systems, or H.A.S., this space will empower community residents to plant vegetable gardens in raised bed planters and sell the produce they don't eat in market stalls under an arcade of protective awnings along the garden perimeter. Likewise, clients of H.A.S. undergoing treatment for substance abuse will find opportunities to learn and work within the healing environment of an urban farm setting. In addition the south fence incorporates an open air stage for community performances, group meetings and cooking demonstrations. In the center of the garden park will be an educational rain garden planted with native plant species. At the entrance to the garden will be an informational kiosk providing a platform for networking and collaboration. Finally, towering over it all will be a rain tower cistern pumped full of collected rain water to provide adequate and sustainable irrigation for the farm. Subsequent phases include a future greenhouse, an apiary, large rain garden and phytoremediation area.
client: Healthcare Alternative Systems
team: BJJ Group, environmental engineers
Scope: Phase I: 16,900 sq. ft. community garden; Phase II: 43, 500 sq. ft. community garden extension with greenhouse and apiary