Delaware Center for Horticulture designs storm-water runoff system for Trolley Square's ACME.

There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony this Friday, July 15th, at 11:30 am.

From DCH:

Major greening renovations completed in ACME parking lot

Installed by the Delaware Center for Horticulture

Project will save ACME $1,500 per year

Wilmington, Del. – The Delaware Center for Horticulture (TheDCH) announces completion of a stormwater mitigation project at the ACME grocery store in Wilmington’s Trolley Square neighborhood. A ribbon cutting ceremony and luncheon will be held on July 15 at 11:30 AM. The event will be attended by city, state and federal officials; ACME executives; major media and numerous stakeholders.

The 9,000 square foot system captures an estimated 70 percent of the site’s annual rainfall, providing relief to the city’s combined stormwater and sewer system and helping to preserve the integrity of the region’s drinking water. The landscaping and engineering system is designed to filter, slow and absorb rain that falls on the roof of ACME’s building and 1.42 acre parking lot. It includes 19 large shade trees, more than 2,800 shrubs and smaller perennial plants, a rain garden, and a series of underground holding tanks – while maintaining almost the same number of the parking spaces.

The ribbon cutting ceremony will begin in the Trolley Square ACME parking lot, on the corner of Delaware Avenue and North Dupont Street. The event will be followed immediately by a luncheon at TheDCH at 1810 North Dupont Street.

Editor's note: we're not big fans of ACME in my household - they're overpriced.  Especially that location.  But I consider this to be a beautification coup for Trolley Square, and an essential water-saving device for the city that will hopefully be followed by more such projects.  Congrats to the DCH on seeing this project through.