What is High Bridge? High Bridge is a transitional jobs and social enterprise company, founded by OAI Inc., which will coordinate green infrastructure installation and ongoing maintenance, hiring local labor and helping advance technical skills for residents of the Calumet region. Our company is designed to offer transitional employment, enabling local residents to benefit from public Green Infrastructure investments in their communities.

During its start-up year of 2015, High Bridge will be installing approximately a dozen pilot green infrastructure projects throughout the Millennium Reserve/ Calumet River corridor communities of Robbins, Riverdale, Calumet Park, Calumet City, Dolton, Blue Island and Burnham, along with high-profile sites in flood-prone Midlothian and a community-coordinated project on the campus of South Suburban College. The projects range in size and scope from rain gardens along parkways in residential settings to multi-acre wetland and native tree installations within industrial sites and former brownfield properties.

How will the work be accomplished? High Bridge crews will be local hires with some landscape experience, looking to scale-up their knowledge with green infrastructure treatments and restoration ecology skills. Crews will install native seed mixes, perennial plugs, trees and shrubs and will be working on newly-excavated and graded sites. Once installed, High Bridge will continue to maintain sites at a minimum of one full year, until plant and seed materials are established.

Who is leading High Bridge? In partnership with the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and other agencies active in the Millennium Reserve/ Calumet River Corridor Green Infrastructure Consortium and the Calumet Stormwater Collaborative, OAI, Inc. is demonstrating its leadership and commitment to workforce training, economic advancement and environmentally-sound communities by launching and incubating High Bridge. For more than 30 years, OAI, Inc. has advanced workforce training throughout the nation, and has helped thousands of individuals improve their lives by effectively managing more than $70 million in federal, state, city and foundation training program grants. OAI has a special emphasis on training individuals in environmental justice communities in careers in Brownfield remediation and green construction. OAI is an active organization in the Chicago Southland Economic Development Corporation, working with local colleges, mayors and manufacturing firms to strengthen and improve the Chicago Southland’s economic environment.

High Bridge 180 N. Wabash, Suite 400 Chicago, Il. 60601 / 312-528-3506Chicago Southland Office: 214 Forest Blvd. Park Forest, Il. 60466 / 708-283-5020

High Bridge’s future vision: Once 2015’s pilot sites are installed, High Bridge and its team of partners plan to scale up efforts throughout the Millennium Reserve/ Calumet River Corridor and across the region. Plans include developing dynamic interpretive components for completed, on-the-ground projects and using successfully-installed green infrastructure sites as demonstration projects and case studies for homeowners, businesses and industrial firms, park districts and municipal planners. Ultimately, High Bridge’s vision is for south suburban

green infrastructure to be a front-door landscape, welcoming and identifying the region’s commitment to health, resilience and an improved quality of life.

High Bridge 180 N. Wabash, Suite 400 Chicago, Il. 60601 / 312-528-3506Chicago Southland Office: 214 Forest Blvd. Park Forest, Il. 60466 / 708-283-5020

Rain Garden Interpretation

Technical training and installation experience for local residents

High Bridge 180 N. Wabash, Suite 400 Chicago, Il. 60601 / 312-528-3506Chicago Southland Office: 214 Forest Blvd. Park Forest, Il. 60466 / 708-283-5020

Green Infrastructure experienced and appreciated by all

Front-door landscapes / Photo credit: City of Madison, WI.