The Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District [BNWRD] has given final approval to spend $7.7 million to upgrade Sunnyside Park on Bloomington's west side to a sustainable park.
The effort will do several things, including offering water retention to reduce flooding during high rain events, and creating a more pleasant buffer between the wastewater treatment plant to the west and a neighborhood, and offering education about the water cycle.
“We're taking the land back to more of what it originally was around the creek, so we're going to do a lot of landscaping, which will allow the water to flow into Sugar Creek, but to help filter that overland flooding, we're going to use rain gardens and bioswales. We're going to use nature itself to help clean the water and divert it from the houses located around that neighborhood,” said BNWRD director Tim Ervin.
Project planning began in 2021 after catastrophic flooding in that low-lying area of the community, as area leaders began looking for ways to reduce future flooding. BNWRD will pay for the work at the city-owned park. It also has attracted some state funding.
“By slowing the water down, it gives the water time to drop contaminants, everything from litter to phosphorus,” said Ervin.
During peak rain events, BNWRD treatment demand can rise from an average of 10-14 million gallons per day to 25 or even 30 million gallons. Ervin said the park and nearby creek restoration projects will be able to take in 2.5-5 million gallons during such an event and release it after the peak has passed.
The current park is largely an open field. The upgraded park will have native plantings, new playground equipment, and educational elements.
“People will be able to use it as a recreation area, it'll have walking trails, it'll have play areas, an auditorium, but overall, it can be used as a regular park. The most interesting thing is the educational aspect of the park where individuals will be able to go around in a large circle learning just about different elements of the water cycle itself,” said Ervin.
The neighborhood is characterized by low-income and environmental justice concerns, according to a city abstract of the project.
“The project exemplifies a comprehensive approach to community revitalization, promoting sustainability and enhancing quality of life for Bloomington residents,” said the abstract.
Ervin said BNWRD is working on several other projects to expand Constitution Trail above the sewer interceptor system, as an addition to the community’s natural areas.
“I know we are doing a lot of exploration along Goose Creek, along Sugar Creek, along the west branch of Sugar Creek, where we are hoping to expand the trails,” said Ervin, who hopes the park will be built in about a year.
Money for it will come from general BNWRD operations as part of the district’s long-term infrastructure improvements.
“While the majority of those funds is going to the renovation of the [treatment] plants and the renovation of our sewer interceptors, we feel it's proper and appropriate to take a small amount of that funding and put back into the education of our youth and these green facilities,” said Ervin.
The Bloomington City Council will vote on the proposal May 26.
