Forty thousand plants have greened approximately 15 percent of Chicago?s McCormick Place Convention Center’s 1 million sf of rooftop. St. Louis based Green Roof Blocks? makers of portable green roof systems, successfully completed its installation of a modular green roof on this huge roof. The McCormick green roof is the second largest in the United States and the largest ?modular? green roof in the world (as of August, 2007). The project which began in January, 2007, was the largest in Green Roof Block?s five year history. 23,177 Green Roof Block Modules were installed on the McCormick Place Convention Center roof covering over 96,000 square feet. Green Roof Blocks are self-contained portable green roof units that cover 4 to 5.2 square feet of roof surface and contain a growth medium with drought resistant plants.?While most Green Roof Blocks installations require minimal initial irrigation, a project of this size required a large volume of water,? says Kelly Luckett, president of Green Roof Blocks. ?The commercial grade irrigation system we selected efficiently distributes water to each plant and will operate through October.?

?In addition to benefiting McCormick Place, our modular green roof will also have a positive environmental impact on the City of Chicago,? says Kelly Luckett, president of Green Roof Blocks. The 23,177 Green Roof Blocks will retain 77,812 gallons of storm water that would otherwise flow into Lake Michigan. This storm water is instead returned to the atmosphere through the transpiration of the plants, helping to reduce the heat island surrounding downtown Chicago.?We are thankful for the cooperation of various Chicago labor organizations. The project was completed using a composite crew of members of the Sheet Metal Workers, Roofers, Laborers, and Plumbers Unions,? says Luckett.