Green Infrastructure

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AT CENTRAL GREEN

Stormwater runoff is any natural precipitation that doesn't soak into the ground where it falls. The rain hits hard, impenetrable surfaces, including streets, parking lots, rooftops, sidewalks and driveways, and the water generally channels towards stormwater drainage systems. When large amounts of water fills these drains, we get flooding. This overflow collects pollutants and other natural materials, which is ultimately, in our community, emptied into the Hudson River. Additionally, if water cannot soak into the ground, it cannot restore local groundwater sources. So the managing of stormwater runoff decreases the amount of water streaming to sewers, minimizes pollutants, and saves on the costs associated with this maintaining this type of infrastructure. It also provides the needed resources for environmental sustainability, as well as protecting biological diversity and preserving ecological functions. 

 Fort Lee’s Central Green, designed by Melillo+Bauer Associates Landscape, is an example of sustainable design strategies implemented to make the space Green for the Borough. Located behind Ventanas Restaurant and between the two towers of The Modern residential skyscrapers, this passive, public 1.75-acre park opened in June 1999 with sustainability in mind. One of the highlights of this space is the pond designed to collect and disperse the stormwater run-off from Central Green as well as The Modern towers’ amenity roof decks.