Sustainability is at the forefront of this massive $80 million project to turn the old paper mill of Vicksburg into a flourishing place where people can come to enjoy themselves. Chris Moore, the developer of this project, has made some creative strides to reinvent the 120 acres of land.
Currently, The Mill at Vicksburg has several sustainable practices in the making, including:
1. An “edible forest” where they have been planting nut trees, fruit trees, and berry bushes, as well as other plants that will deter pests and encourage pollinators to visit and keep the forest in great condition.
2. The building is being cleaned of pre-existing asbestos and lead-based paint. The material is then transferred to a special landfill where it cannot leak into the groundwater.
3. The construction of new wood beams is being created from sustainably harvested trees.
4. Exterior bricks have been salvaged from a recently demolished horse track near Chicago.
5. Other buildings not to be included in The Mill’s final plans will be used by businesses in neighboring towns.
6. A two-story pile of concrete that has been uprooted from the existing landscape is being crushed into fine pebbles by a grinder machine. Those pebbles will then be used to create new roadways, sidewalks, and parking lots. This alone saved The Mill from dumping over 500 truck loads of concrete into a landfill.
The work that is being done at The Mill is incredible, to say the least, and there is still more to come.
