The 33-acre Reading Municipal Landfill was used by the town until 1984. In the mid-1990s, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) mandated closure of the landfill. Faced with the immense cost of doing so, the town solicited proposals from several real estate firms for redevelopment rights in return for funding closure activities at the well-located site.

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) provided full design and permitting services for the closure and redevelopment of the former landfill. VHB helped the client secure tenants and formulate a redevelopment plan that was approved by the town. VHB’s design addressed a variety of engineering and environmental challenges including landfill settlement, wetlands protection and access issues.

In addition to challenging design elements, VHB delineated wetland resource areas, conducted wildlife habitat assessments and a rare species survey, and prepared local, state and federal permit applications for the landfill closure and redevelopment. Key to securing these permits was VHB’s design of mitigation measures for unavoidable wetland losses. VHB’s plan included reconstructing filled wetlands, removing invasive species, restoring the perennial stream, and developing innovative ways to control erosion and sedimentation during construction.

Phase I and II of this project are now completed.  Phase I (400,000 square feet) of the project includes The Home Depot, Jordan’s Furniture with IMAX Theater, and a Chili’s restaurant. Phase II, includes a 75,000 square-foot retail/restaurant strip with a Macaroni Grille,  Linens 'n Things, Staples, Bear Rock Cafe, Starbucks, Bank of America branch, and others.  VHB helped design an underground storm water detention system for Phase II. 

More about this project:
Stormwater and Groundwater Permitting and Compliance