“Look – eagles!” someone exclaimed.

And for a moment, the whir of the cement truck and popping of the nail gun seemed to disappear as a small group stood there to watch a pair of Bald Eagles drift from west to east over the McColl Pond Environmental Learning Center (ELC), which is under construction on the backside of Community Park.

“I think that’s a good sign,” said eagle spotter Sam Lucido with a smile on his face and he shaded his eyes from the morning sun to get a better look.

Lucido is the city’s associate civil engineer and was on the construction site double checking the location of drain tile under what appeared to be a large pile of stones.

He explained the stones are the base for a pervious concrete area that will be surrounded by rain gardens. The drain tile location is important to make sure the rain gardens get the water they need to thrive and keep the storm water flowing clean into nearby McColl Pond.

It’s been nearly six months since ground was broken for the ELC and it is on schedule to open in November.

The 6,200-square-foot facility uses a variety of sustainable, or green, construction practices such as a vegetated roof, a geo-thermal heating system and post-consumer recycled building materials throughout the building. The building also has south- and west-facing windows to capture the afternoon sun and turn it into passive energy.

The shed-style design of the cedar-sided building is also done for a reason – to maximize light throughout the building and to effectively use the space for a wide variety of programs and activities.

Green roof

The most noticeable green feature is the roof, which was planted last week.

Five varieties of sedum were planted into a roofing system that includes a special mix of soil, topped off with a straw mat and surrounded by an edge of river rock that acts as a drainage system.

Mike Mesch of Nature’s Artistry was overseeing the planting of the last section of roof. Sedum plants are being used on the roof because they are drought tolerant, can withstand lots of bright sunshine and can handle Minnesota’s tough winters.

While Nature’s Artistry planted the roof, American Hydrotech Inc. prepared it with a special roof material topped off with a specially-engineered soil that has been amended with nutrients and crushed shale.

Parks and Natural Resources Superintendent Jon Allen explained the soil is the key to making the green roof grow as the shale has been heated to 10,000 degrees to make it expand. “In that expanded state is it capable of retaining more moisture and can hold that moisture for up to two weeks,” he said.

Up on the roof, Mesch explained the straw mat is used as an erosion control measure and will biodegrade in about two years. But before that happens, the plants will grow to a point that by next summer, the roof will be one solid mass of plants.

“The whole idea is to make this low maintenance and low impact,” Mesch said.

Two kinds of concrete

The majority of the concrete around the ELC is pervious, which means water won’t run off, it will sink in to be infiltrated into the ground. The process will result in returning cleaner water into the ground and nearby McColl Pond.

The walkways leading up to the ELC and the floor inside are all regular concrete, Allen said. Also, the parking lot will be regular asphalt, not the pervious type.

Allen explained that while the rain gardens on the backside of the building will benefit from a drain tile system in concert with the pervious concrete, that couldn’t be done everywhere.

“The rain gardens at the front of the building are designed to get the runoff from the parking lot and the other concrete areas,” he said.

Since there are two kinds of concrete on the site, Allen said people will be able to witness firsthand how each surface handles rain runoff.

Clean indoor air

Indoors, many post-consumer recycled building materials are being used, in addition to those that will promote clean air. Everything from the walls, ceiling panels, cupboards, cabinets and shelves includes some kind of recycled material.

In order to do this, the city is using materials approved by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) that certifies recycled building materials made by a variety of companies.

The floors of the ELC will be polished concrete and some areas have imprinted animal paws as a point of interest for visitors. As well, all other interior finishes will be kept as natural as possible to reflect sustainable stewardship.

The building has a geothermal unit, but regular duct work is needed to move it around the building. As well, there will be a Tulikivi soapstone fireplace to provide radiant heat in the lobby area.

The $2.44 million project is being funded by a three-way split of $591,837 each from the liquor, park reserve and community investment funds.

Outside funding sources for the project include a $500,000 grant from the Jeffers Foundation, $20,000 from B.F. Nelson Folding Cartons Co., $45,000 in grants from Scott County and a $100,000 bid deduct from Fendler Patterson, the general contractor for the project. As well, a “Friends of the McColl Pond ELC” organization has been started to take in donations and gifts of all sizes.

When it is finished, the city plans to use the facility for environmental education programs offered by the city and through the two main school districts. The facility will also be available to be rented out for private parties or business functions.

The facility use agreement for the ELC was presented to the Savage Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Commission this week and should come to the Savage City Council sometime in October or November.

 Nancy Huddleston can be reached at editor@savagepacer.com.  

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