RainReady Green Infrastructure Plan Implementation for Calumet Area
In 2022, the Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability invested $6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in RainReady, a program that helps people and communities reduce negative impacts caused by flooding in a time of climate change.
The RainReady implementation program supported green infrastructure projects in six flood-prone municipalities located along the Little Calumet River. These communities, known as the Calumet Corridor, include Blue Island, Calumet City, Calumet Park, Dolton, Riverdale and Robbins. The projects were selected by a community-led steering committee and completed Sept. 30, 2026.
The County partnered with the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT), Greenprint Partners and community leaders to ensure these six communities become more flood- resilient by improving stormwater management.
View the RainReady Calumet Corridor plan here.
RainReady Projects
Blue Island
In Blue Island, $678,000 was used to construct three green alleys between New Street and Vermont Street, West 123rd Street and Gruenwald Street and Hoyne Avenue and Seeley Avenue. Permeable paving will help divert an estimated 2.3 million gallons of stormwater annually.
Calumet City
In Calumet City, $1,018,000 was used to construct bioretention bump outs with a new sidewalk, under drains and bioswales with native vegetation will help manage approximately 52,000 gallons of stormwater annually at Sibley Boulevard and Wentworth Avenue. Four green alleys with permeable pavement were also constructed between Sibley Boulevard and Wilson Avenue, 153rd Street and Pulaski Road and two along Stewart Avenue and Harding Avenue. The green alleys will divert an estimated 212,300 gallons of stormwater annually.
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Calumet Park
In Calumet Park, $665,000 was used to construct two projects. A green schoolyard was constructed at Burr Oak Academy that includes permeable pavement, rain gardens and other retrofits including cisterns to store rainwater for landscaping. A second project on Winchester Avenue from 124th Street to 127th Street now features bioswales in the west parkway, permeable pavers for parking, permeable asphalt drive lanes and a rain garden at the north end of Winchester Avenue. Calumet Park RainReady projects will help manage over 189,000 gallons of stormwater each year.
Robbins
In Robbins, $405,000 was used to construct a new sidewalk along Claire Boulevard that will help divert an estimated 460,000 gallons of stormwater annually. The stormwater sidewalk is equipped with drainage stone, a new storm sewer, regrading. Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) also planted and maintains prairie vegetation on the right-of-way.
RainReady Homes Program
In Riverdale and Dolton, a total of 32 residences across both municipalities received property-scale work to reduce flooding in homes and yards. Twenty-eight homes received overhead sewer line replacements to prevent basement backups. In addition, 14 of the homes received rain gardens with native vegetation and 17 homes received rain barrels to help manage stormwater in yards. Homes were selected through an application process. The investments in Riverdale ($453,000) and Dolton ($335,000) will help manage an estimated 200,000 gallons of stormwater each year.
The overall RainReady project portfolio will help manage over 3.4 million gallons of stormwater annually in the Calumet Corridor, demonstrating how gray and green infrastructure elements can work in tandem to mitigate severe flooding in communities.
RainReady Background
An initiative spearheaded by CNT in 2016, RainReady policies and practices help property owners and communities reduce their risk of flooding, become more climate resilient and create healthy buildings and green neighborhoods. RainReady approaches are tailored to the specific needs of each building and community.
CNT worked with the six communities to develop the RainReady Calumet Corridor Plan, a guide to reduce flooding throughout these areas by coordinating investments in private homes, public spaces and regional infrastructure. Initial funding for this project was provided through funding from Cook County’s Community Development Block Grant disaster relief program. This additional funding via ARPA ensured significant progress was made on the installation, maintenance and repairs of projects within each community.
About Green Infrastructure
Green infrastructure is an umbrella term for a wide variety of tools and practices that allow communities, project planners and municipal leaders to bolster existing environments with nature-based solutions in preparation for continued climate-related events. It is an approach that looks at water management holistically, creates a network of green space connectivity and reinforces or replicates ecosystem services. Because many types of green infrastructure include restoration of natural areas and the addition of native plants, these efforts not only reduce the negative impacts of increased precipitation events, but they can also create important livable habitat for local plant and animal species, cleaner air, cooler temperatures and easier access to green spaces for community members.
Strategically investing funds into these communities and utilizing nature-based solutions results in direct benefits to residents, municipal and County systems. Benefits may include fewer medical visits related to heat, flooding and air pollution and cost savings from reduced disaster maintenance and infrastructure repairs over several decades.
Program Timeline
Winter 2022 - Spring 2023: Community engagement and outreach with RainReady Steering Committees and leadership from each of the six communities.
Summer 2023: Requests for proposals for contractors and project prioritization.
Summer 2023 - Fall 2024: Engineering and design.
Fall 2024 - Summer 2026: Project installation.
September 2026: Program closeout.
*ARPA funds must be obligated by end of 2024 and spent by 2026.
Resources
Cook County’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) At a Glance Cook County ARP & Racial Equity
Municipal Water Reclamation District Green Infrastructure