Community Corner

Bette Midler Helps Celebrate Renovation of Gowanus Garden

Renovation helps reduce stormwater runoff.

New York Restoration Project (NYRP) recently completed the renovation of its Gil Hodges Community Garden in Gowanus with support from Jo Malone London and a New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Green Infrastructure Grant.

The transformation turns the space into the first NYRP community garden with high-performance stormwater infrastructure. The 3,140-square-foot garden is located at the flood-prone intersection of Carroll Street and Denton Place, an area regularly impacted by storm water runoff and industrial pollutants.

“By managing stormwater where it falls, and keeping it out of the combined sewer system, the Gil Hodges Community Garden will reduce overflows and contribute to a healthier and cleaner Gowanus Canal,” said DEP Commissioner Carter Strickland. “

Bette Midler, who founded NYRP in 1995, was on hand Wednesday to celebrate the opening of the newly restored garden.

The renovation included retrofitting the garden with permeable pavers, flood-tolerant plants and a rain garden. NYRP also installed a DEP-designed bioswale in the sidewalk adjacent to the garden that manages stormwater runoff from Denton Place and the sidewalk. In total, these are expected to manage 150,000 gallons of stormwater annually.


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