Background

Chandler Park is a historic park located in Detroit, Michigan.  Originally constructed in the 1800s, it was expanded numerous times between 1922 and 1950 to add amenities including a pool which was later turned into a water park, a golf course, and public green space.  An expert panel in 2013 recommended construction of a 2.5-million-gallon marshland on park property which they hoped would provide a new feature for recreation and education while also incorporating green infrastructure principles to improve stormwater management at the park.

Services Provided

TSP started work by clearing the 5-acre section of the park where the new marshland would be constructed.  TSP cleared 32 trees from the area then mobilized equipment to strip and stockpile nearly 5,000 cubic yards of topsoil and excavate 13,000 cubic yards of soil to form the marshland pool. The excavated soil was used onsite to create a sled hill.  The topsoil was spread over the banks of the pond and then planted with wetland plants and seeds.

Stormwater management structures included more than 1,000 feet of new pipe, three pumps, two catch basins, and associated underground structures.  TSP installed 2 pumps to convey storm water runoff into the pond and separated the sanitary sewer from the storm system. This saves approximately 5 million gallons of storm water per year from being sent to the Waste-water Treatment Plant.  TSP also installed a recirculation pump to keep the water moving and to provide a waterfall feature.

TSP installed landscaping amenities in the form of limestone walls, ledges, and edging, as well as decorative cobblestone.  Four habitats were built near the pond:  A rock habitat, log habitat, snake habitat, and sand turtle habitat.  TSP placed helical piles which provide the foundation for a new boardwalk which was installed over the pond for foot traffic.  Finally, the area was seeded for native plants.

Construction of the Chandler Park marshland was completed in December 2019.