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North Sarah Phase II
North Sarah, a Central West End mixed-use development managed by the St. Louis Housing Authority,
completed a rainscaping project in 2016. The project disconnected downspouts and redirected them into catch
basins, piping the flow through a French drain infiltration system, and redirecting overflow into a drainage
aggregate under the development’s parking lots. In addition, bump-outs with rain gardens were added to filter
rainwater runoff before it enters the sewer system. The project proposed to retain nearly 138,000 cubic feet of
rainwater each year.
“The St. Louis Housing Authority and its development partner, McCormack Baron Salazar, have a dedicated
team that has designed many development projects to be a beacon in the community representing the best
practices in environmental sustainability,” said Cheryl Lovell, executive director of the St. Louis Housing
Authority. “The MSD program allowed the team to pursue projects that even further reduced the
development’s impact on the environment with techniques that may not have otherwise been economically
feasible.”
Rainscaping type: Permeable pavement and curb bump-outs
Challenges: The major goal of the project was to capture as much water as possible on the site, said project
engineer David Johnson of David Mason & Associates. This was especially challenging considering the parking
lot’s location behind the building – typically developments are graded back to front and down to the street
level. Directing water to the lot instead of down the street to the sewer system required an unconventional
design.
In addition, there was a learning curve with this project, particularly in implementing fairly new best
management practices (BMP) technology. For instance, when it was discovered that previously installed
pervious asphalt pavement was not installed according to the BMP, it needed to be removed and replaced.
Solution: To maximize water capture, the project took advantage of the entire footprint of the parking lot –
the stalls are permeable pavement, the drive aisles are conventional pavement, and the area underneath the
lot serves as the drainage aggregate. “There is a clean rock layer underneath the lot where water can collect
and be filtered before slowly releasing to the sewer system,” said Johnson. Because most rain events in St.
Louis are 1.18 inches or less, he added, the system is designed to retain and filter water up to 1.18 inches of
rainfall.
What makes this project unique: North Sarah Phase II gave MSD an opportunity to partner on a project that
meets affordable housing needs in the urban core. It also provides good visibility of the benefits of rainscaping
– all residents will receive information and training on the sustainable features included in their new
community.
“The North Sarah Phase II project demonstrates how green infrastructure features can not only be applied to
the redevelopment of distressed urban neighborhoods, but also reduce runoff while enhancing the
neighborhood’s appearance,” Lovell said.
About MSD’s Rainscaping Large-Scale Grant Program: This rainscaping grant program (previously called the
Early Action Program) seeks to engage partners to identify joint opportunities to incorporate rainscaping into
ongoing programs and future redevelopment projects. Each grant awarded allows MSD to create a public-
private partnership that contributes to the environmental, social, and economic health of the St. Louis region.
For more information or to learn how to apply for your organization, visit projectclearstl.org.