With environmental review underway, FEMA encourages public participation for pond and park initiative

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is beginning its environmental assessment as it’s still reviewing a funding application to construct a water detention pond on 153rd St. and Myrtle Ave.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and Harvey aim to construct a pond and adjoining park on Myrtle Ave. The District has taken lead in acquiring homes while Harvey is spearheading the park effort, transforming the former Ascension-St. Susanna campus, city-owned since January 2023.

The District applied for $5 million to help bankroll the near $10 million endeavor.

In February and March, FEMA opened up the federally-mandated public comment period. 

At the time, its application decision timeline was the end of summer 2024. In June, a grant specialist told the HWH it no longer had a funding timeline. Now, FEMA anticipates decisions to be delivered by the end of 2024, according to a public notice released last month. The notice doesn’t specify a public participation end date.

FEMA will also consult with the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office to determine the project’s impact on historic or cultural resources in the area. Submit feedback via email, mail, and phone to any of these parties:

Duane Castaldi
Regional Environmental Officer FEMA Region 5
Department of Homeland Security
536 South Clark Street, 6th floor
Chicago IL 60605
fema-r5-environmental@fema.dhs.gov
Voicemail: 312-408-5549

Mitchell Troup
Hazard Mitigation Division FEMA Region 5
Department of Homeland Security
536 South Clark Street, 6th floor
Chicago IL 60605
Mitchell.Troup@fema.dhs.gov
Voicemail: 202-717-0562

Zachary Krug
Hazard Mitigation Section Manager
Illinois Emergency Management Agency
1035 Outer Park
Springfield, IL 62704-4462
Zachary.Krug@illinois.gov
Phone: 217-524-6513

Corean Davis
Harvey City Administrator
15320 Broadway Avenue
Harvey, IL 60426
cdavis@cityofharveyil.gov
Phone: 708-990-9067

Daniel Walsh
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Senior Engineer
111 E. Erie Street
Chicago, IL 60611
WalshD@mwrd.org
Phone: 312-751-3079

This all comes as the District has finalized acquiring residents’ homes. The District sent offer letters in May. Appraisal results were sent to residents after the deadline passed for them to respond to their offer letters. 

That means residents had to respond to the offer letters without full knowledge of how the District’s appraiser, Aerow Valuation Group, conducted its inquiry and determined how much financial assistance they should receive in their relocation package.

The project has faced pushback from Myrtle Ave. residents and residents citywide. The block doesn’t rest in a flood zone. Both Harvey and District officials have said study results determined the project recommendation and location—even after the engineering director and those same study results explicitly state the city’s desire to construct a new civic park guided the final location.

And the area is wrecked by drugs, such as opioid, fentanyl, and cocaine. In December 2023, Brandon Gross, Sr., 55, overdosed on a combination of fentanyl and cocaine at Ascension-St. Susanna, a city-owned property.

In the face of drug trafficking and public safety concerns, the District is standing by the project.

Harvey has failed to secure the former church and parish. Even with a security camera installed on the campus, break-ins still occur. Neither police nor city officials have publicly acknowledged Gross, Sr.’s death to date.