WHO: Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), city of Markham officials, and community leaders 

WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, at 11 a.m.

WHERE: 15850 Turner Avenue., Markham, Ill., in alley north of 159th Street. 

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), city of Markham officials, and community leaders will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the alley north of 159th Street at Turner Avenue on Thursday, Aug. 28, at 11 a.m., to celebrate the completion of three new green alleys in Markham. 

This collaborative project converted impervious alleys into eco-friendly, permeable surfaces designed to enhance stormwater management and resilience, demonstrating Markham’s commitment to sustainable urban design and climate-conscious stormwater solutions.

Green alleys help reduce localized flooding, improve water quality, and create safer and more environmentally responsible communities. The three alleys in Markham transformed 11,700 square feet of impervious surface into permeable pavement, boosting the area’s stormwater management capacity with an estimated 90,501 gallons of design retention capacity (DRC). The MWRD committed up to $469,000 toward this sustainable infrastructure effort, which is projected to cost $618,597 in total.