4>EPA Green Design Options for the Moran Center at
issr5-p°e °n Waterfront Park Revitalization Project
Sustainability Pilot Background
EPA's Brownfields Sustainability Pilots provide technical assistance to assist communities in
achieving greener, more sustainable results when redeveloping brownfields. These pilots also
provide models for other communities across the country.
EPA provided technical assistance to Burlington, Vermont's Community and Economic
Development Office (CEDO) to develop a Sustainable Infrastructure Plan for the redevelopment
of the Moran Plant. The property is a former coal fired electric generating facility on Burlington's
waterfront. EPA's technical assistance team helped analyze the site and conceptual design
plans to develop recommendations for incorporating green infrastructure, green building design
and wetland restoration at the Moran project site.
Moran Center at Waterfront Park Background
The Moran Center at Waterfront Park was the former generating plant for the Burlington Electric Department. Decommissioned
in 1986, the plant remains vacant. The site was also used for a variety of industrial activities including: railroad and lumber mill
uses, and the storage and transportation of petroleum and petroleum related products. Using EPA Brownfields Assessment
grants, the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission conducted Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments
that revealed trichloroethylene in the soil and ground water as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, lead paint and asbestos
in building materials.
CEDO's redevelopment plan proposes that the site be an extension of the waterfront park with improved pedestrian, bicycle,
transit and vehicle amenities, and serve as a mixed use community center. Some of the proposed programming components
include a children's splash park, a skating rink, a remodeled skate park, a rock climbing wall, the first indoor ice climbing wall in
North America, the Green Mountain Children's Museum, and expansion of the Community Sailing Center.
Project Highlights _
EPA's technical assistance to CEDO included evaluating the Moran Center site, conceptual design plans and green design
options. The technical assistance team developed a report that summarizes recommendations related to green infrastructure
of the Moran Center site plan, green building design of the proposed Moran Building, and wetland restoration. The
recommendations outlined in the report are based on three primary project goals: creating a viable and sustainable visitors'
destination; identifying cost effective green infrastructure and site plan opportunities; and identifying cost effective green
building opportunities.
EPA's technical assistance team created technical drawings illustrating recommendations for incorporating green infrastructure
design options at the Moran Center project site which include the following elements:
• Riparian buffers
• Wildlife corridors
• Native planting
• Alternatives to pesticide use in landscape maintenance
• Alternatives to salt use for de-icing
• Reconstructed wetlands
Technical drawings highlighting recommendations for green building design options development by the technical assistance
team incorporate the following elements:
. Natura| lighting ' Energy-efficient mechanical heating and cooling
. Natural ventilation ' Reduction of carbon footprint
• Greenhouse
Tree planting and urban forestry
Structural soil cells
Porous paving
Bioswales and rain gardens
Water art and play features
Rainwater harvesting
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Challenges and Lessons Learned
Integrated Design Approach
CEDO intends for the Moran Center to be a sustainable site and a community
center. EPA's technical assistance team suggests developers and engineers
use an integrated design approach to incorporate sustainable features in all
phases of development. Cost effective and feasible sustainability strategies
must be identified before construction begins.
Identifying Cost Effective Sustainable Design Features
EPA's technical assistance team suggested that many cost effective and
environmentally beneficial elements of green design are in the landscape
and site infrastructure. Many of these green design options are easily
incorporated and can reduce the cost of constructing and maintaining the
site's infrastructure.
The Moran Center at Waterfront Park project
in Burlington, Vermont.
The technical assistance team aided in evaluating which of the sustainable infrastructure and green building options
recommended in the report represent easily implementable and cost effective means to meeting key project goals. The report
identified the following options:
Curtailing landscape maintenance through reduction and
elimination of lawnscape that requires regular mowing
and replacing large lawn areas with native planting.
Replacement of gas fired mowers and blowers with
electric options.
Gravity flow stormwater infrastructure with retainage
basins, rain gardens and structural soil cells for trees and
planting areas.
Passive design for natural lighting, sun tempering
and ventilation to reduce HVAC and electric lighting
requirements.
Photovoltaic panels for electric generation, especially
to reduce and eventually eliminate need for peak power
plant operation.
In addition, EPA's technical assistance team recommended an approach for wetland restoration that balances the perspectives of
ecological, engineering, planning and community stakeholders. Shading the area and establishing a swamp forest ecosystem could
improve project sustainability. The final report describes and estimates a budget for a feasibility analysis, conceptual and schematic
ecosystem restoration design, design and construction documents, and construction. In August 2009, the City of Burlington
received an additional $3 million in financial support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to continue
redevelopment of the Moran Center.
Sources for Additional Information
For more information on this project, please see the full Moran Center technical assistance report at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/sustain_plts/factsheets/moran.pdf
Additionally, please see: Moran Center at Waterfront Park: Guide to the Redevelopment of the Moran Plant at:
www.cedoburlington.org/waterfront/moran_plant/redevelopment_proposal.htm
Updates on the Moran Center at Waterfront project can also be found at:
www.cedoburlington.org/waterfront/moran_plant/moran_plant_redevelopment.htm
Regional Contact Information
For more information on the Moran Center Brownfields Sustainability Pilot, please contact:
Jessica Dominguez
EPA Region 1
617-918-1627
dominguez.jessica@epa.gov
Green Design Options for the
Moran Center at Waterfront Park
Revitalization Project
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