Grand opening event held for 'Green Tech Station' on Milwaukee's north side

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The city of Milwaukee held a grand opening event Thursday for something called a Green Tech Station.

It's located near 31st and Nash on the north side, and maybe the best way to describe it is part park and part open-air classroom to study the environment. 

"This site, from what it formerly was to what it is now, it really represents a rebirth," said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson. 

As Mayor Johnson suggests, the Green Tech project has turned an old Brownfield site where a storage tank used to stand into a place where people can visit and learn about the natural world around them. 

The Green Tech Station has solar panels, test cells, a rain barrel, stormwater collection sites, newly planted trees, native prairie flowers and a storm garden. There are even art installations. 

"This site here is going to be a destination for kids and adults alike," said Lafayette Crump, commissioner of city development. "And we hope it will continue to inspire other community members of all ages to learn more about the world around them and what they can do to improve their environment."

This Green Tech Station will be available for tours and school field trips free of charge.