Beautifying the Northwest Side of Milwaukee While Reducing Neighborhood Flooding: GSI Project Kicks Off on Wellpoint Care Campus

A Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) project has officially kicked off on Wellpoint Care Network’s campus.

This GSI project is designed to capture at least one million gallons of stormwater and includes constructed wetlands, bioswales and native landscaping.

“And what does that do?” said Ann Leinfelder Grove, President and CEO of Wellpoint Care Network. “Well, that helps prevent flooding in the neighborhood and on our own property. It also decreases the likelihood that stormwater rolls into the tunnels and creates problems further down. There’s great energy around being good stewards, not just of our facility, but of this acreage, and how we contribute to the green infrastructure of our community.”

This project on Wellpoint Care’s campus grounds is a collaborative effort between Wellpoint Care and the Fresh Coast Protection Partnership, a community-based partnership between Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) and Corvias Infrastructure Solutions (CIS).

It’s part of a larger goal of MMSD to capture and keep in place over 750 million gallons of rainwater each time it rains this summer.

“This particular project is really a keystone project here in Milwaukee and one of the largest, capturing over one million gallons of rainfall where it falls,” said Kurt Farrell, Market Director for the Fresh Coast Protection Partnership. “That’s the key, as we don’t want it going into a storm sewer system. We want to help protect the watershed. We don’t want to have to treat it through our MMSD operations. We just couldn’t be more excited to be able to do this with Wellpoint Care Network and bring the Fresh Coast Protection Partnership here to this community.”

A ceremonial groundbreaking for the project was held on Tuesday, May 21. Several elected officials were in attendance, including Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee District 5 Alderman Lamont Westmoreland.

“These efforts will make a meaningful impact on our community’s resilience and sustainability,” said Westmoreland. “I would like to send my heartfelt thanks to Wellpoint Care and Fresh Coast Protection Partnership for the collaboration on this very important project which exemplifies our collective commitment of creating a safer, more beautiful and sustainable environment for us all.”

The GSI project is part of a larger multi-year effort to transform Wellpoint Care’s historic campus into a place where families, neighbors, and community partners will find trauma-informed social services, mental health resources, and a place to connect, collaborate, and care for themselves and one another.

“This groundbreaking really signals an important step for Wellpoint Care’s plan to convert their 18-acre campus into a space for the community to not only connect, but to care for themselves and to care for their neighbors,” said Crowley. “Wellpoint Care is creating a vibrant neighborhood anchor with walking paths, a peace garden and community gardens where individuals and families can connect and focus on their own mental wellness and well-being. As a neighbor of Wellpoint Care, I know that I’m looking forward to utilizing many of these walking paths and this space for my own mental health, something that we should be encouraging in general.”

“The redevelopment of the grounds will allow for improved wellness support and state-of-the-art mental health as well,” added Johnson. “These are all wonderful improvements here on campus that will help to beautify and enrich the northwest side of the City of Milwaukee and provide another haven for people who are utilizing the services here at Wellpoint Care.”

The GSI project is expected to be completed in October 2024. Wellpoint Care Network’s overall campus transformation will continue for several years.

To view pictures from the groundbreaking, CLICK HERE.