Reducing stormwater runoff to Grand Traverse Bay while improving pedestrian safety and mobility through an integrated downtown streetscape design.
Stormwater runoff from Northport’s downtown flows directly toward Grand Traverse Bay, carrying pollutants, sediment, and nutrients that affect nearshore water quality.
At the same time, Nagonaba Street serves as a central corridor for residents and visitors but lacked pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, accessible crossings, and modern streetscape features. Community leaders needed a solution that could improve water quality while creating a safer, more welcoming downtown.
Because the project was grant funded, the design also needed to balance environmental performance with community character, long-term maintenance, and stakeholder expectations.
Drummond Carpenter led civil engineering design for the grant-funded streetscape project, integrating green stormwater infrastructure with pedestrian improvements to reduce runoff entering Grand Traverse Bay, including:
The corridor design addressed stormwater and mobility together, allowing infrastructure improvements to reduce environmental impacts while making Nagonaba Street safer and more accessible.
The resulting design integrated stormwater treatment directly into the downtown streetscape, ultimately treating 2.9 million gallons of runoff annually while improving pedestrian safety and mobility.
Along Nagonaba Street, green stormwater systems were designed into the streetscape to improve environmental performance while preserving the look and feel of downtown Northport.
Key features included:
Public outreach helped shape how the corridor would function, look, and be maintained over time, allowing the infrastructure design to reflect both technical requirements and community priorities.
The success of the Nagonaba Street design led to a second grant-funded project on the next street, where underground storage and rain gardens were implemented.
Responsible infrastructure design can protect natural resources while contributing to vibrant public spaces. In a downtown environment, that means designing stormwater systems within the streets, sidewalks, and public spaces people use every day.
Northport’s Nagonaba Street project shows what that can look like in practice: green infrastructure that reduces runoff to Grand Traverse Bay while improving accessibility and mobility along a central downtown corridor. The approach was subsequently extended through a second grant-funded project.
