Glendale Landfill Redevelopment
2021 Engineering Excellence Best of State
Entering Firm: Ayres Associates Inc.
Client: Rettler Corporation
Owner: City of Glendale
The City of Glendale prides itself on its stewardship of natural resources. Two major county parks are within city limits and the Milwaukee River runs through the community. To enhance the community’s outdoor recreation, the city sought to build a park and sporting complex. Finding space for this project would be difficult in a rapidly growing community.
Transforming A Blighted Space
Ayres Associates and the client found a perfect spot – an unused former landfill. The landfill had ceased operations in 1976 and has sat capped and vacant since 2000. This 15-acre spot met the city’s needs for the new park. The design team went to work to find out how to protect the environment and development from the trash beneath. The top priority was finding a way to deal with gas and water problems that occur within a landfill. The design team relocated vents and pipes to prevent buildup of gas and water underneath the park structures. Strict construction oversight ensured that the landfill cap was not disturbed.
The final park has a wide variety of facilities. A collegiate-level baseball field and accompanying facilities is the cornerstone of the new park and there are plans to add smaller baseball fields as well. The community can also enjoy a playground and an outdoor amphitheater.
Awards judge Jerry Deschane said “Ayres Associates brought invaluable environmental expertise to this exciting community project. An old landfill site is now an invaluable community asset.”
From Trash to Treasure
By daring to transform the old landfill space, the community can now enjoy what used to be vacant land. The engineering team overturned long-held perceptions of the land and created an asset. The new park reinforces Glendale’s commitment to environmental stewardship and outdoor recreation.
