Our Approach
Flooding and stormwater challenges in Wilmington’s Northeast and Southbridge neighborhoods created an opportunity to bring green infrastructure directly into community spaces. Working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and project partners, Straughan developed solutions for Johnston Playground and Iglesias de Dios that integrated rain gardens, bioretention, bioswales, permeable pavement, grading, drainage improvements, and landscape planting within constrained existing sites. Community and stakeholder engagement helped inform the improvements while Straughan supported grant applications to help secure funding for implementation.\
At Johnston Playground, the project continued from design into implementation through a subsequent agreement with Delaware Nature Society. Straughan prepared bid documents and cost estimates, coordinated with the City of Wilmington, evaluated alternatives to accommodate the available budget, and supported bidding and construction. Services continued through weekly inspections, RFIs, final inspection, as-built review, and preparation of a maintenance plan—carrying the green infrastructure improvements from concept through completion.
