The conversion of a 70-acre, former Chevrolet plant site in Flint, MI, from a brownfield zone into a destination urban open space has been honored by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 5 with a Brownfields Recognition Award. The EPA recognized the project, the Genesee County Land Bank Authority, the City of Flint, and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) for outstanding contributions to brownfields redevelopment at its 2019 National Brownfields Training Conference in Los Angeles, CA. The Chevy Commons Redevelopment transformed the industrial remnants into public green space by isolating contaminated soils with a soil cap that supports native plants. Wade Trim led a multi-disciplined consultant team to prepare a detailed design plan that addresses urban design, transportation, naturalization, sustainability, and other ecological issues associated with public reuse of a brownfield site.

Construction at Chevy Commons—formerly known as “Chevy in the Hole”—began in 2015, and has been portioned into five phases, combining an extensive trail network with native landscapes along two miles of Flint riverfront. With funding from multiple local, state, and federal stakeholders, the City of Flint, Genesee County Land Bank Authority, and Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission have worked in tandem to develop the area into a park-like space that features open grasslands, stormwater marshes, reforested woodlands, an event lawn, and wetlands interlaced with trails that link to surrounding institutions, neighborhoods, and regional trails. The site has quickly become a magnet for community events and gatherings, creating a sense of place in the community that attracts visitors from across Genesee County. The final phase of the redevelopment project is expected to be completed in 2020.