Author: ayres

From Trashy to Classy: Turning a Closed Landfill into a Community Asset in Cedar Rapids

Iowa isn’t known as a mountainous state. But there’s a hill in the heart of Cedar Rapids – a closed landfill known as Mount Trashmore – that looms along the Cedar River just southeast of downtown. The hill is highly visible from the vast majority of downtown Cedar Rapids, which is about 120 miles east… Read More »

What Does Brownfield Redevelopment Cost? Right Question Is ‘What Does It Pay?’

If you have a blighted area in your community, you can view it as a liability, or you can see it as an opportunity. That brownfield is probably shouting “ugly, ugly, ugly!” to all who drive by, but it might also be whispering “location, location, location.” Communities that can see beyond the scars and understand… Read More »

Quality Engineering Leaves Area Around Deluged Dam Safe, Not Sorry; Inspection Follows

There’s nothing like a flash flood to illustrate the value of professionally designed dam components … and the value of timely inspections to make sure floodwaters have not left the dam compromised. It didn’t take long for the Village of Strum’s new Crystal Lake Dam flashboards to prove their effectiveness. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources… Read More »