Post #5 - Big Belly Compactors (Reinvestment Project)

One of the reinvestment projects that caught my eye was called the North Avenue Big Belly Solar Waste System. It is a project involving all sorts of people, from the sponsors to the contributors to artists to the community. There are four main sponsors (funds) that are encouraging this project - Charles North Community Association (CNCA) – Business Committee, Midtown Community Benefits District, MICA and Center City, Inc. The project itself is super creative and interesting – obviously it is an attempt to clean up the litter around Station North, but it’s more than that. The sponsors are installing four Big Belly Compactors (solar intelligent) along the corridor of one of SNAED’s major areas (North Avenue) that will be used for litter. It is a long-term plan that will hopefully improve with time, but there is another aspect that caught my eye: the city and sponsors are allowing artists to decorate the compactors with art to improve the visual impact of the compactors and to add to the design.

Big Belly Compactor

So the reinvestment agents understand and organize the project, the stakeholders fund the project, and the change agencies make the magic happen!

Sources:

"$86,000 “Spruce-up” Grants Awarded to Station North Arts and Entertainment District." what weekly. N.p., 2 Jan. 2013. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. <http://whatweekly.com/2013/01/02/86000-spruce-up-grants-awarded-to-station-north-arts-and-entertainment-district/>.

"North Avenue Big Belly Solar Waste System." The Robert W. Deutsch Foundation. Central Baltimore Partnership, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. <http://rwdfruhoh.ookb.co/whatwedo/solarwaste/>.