Forty-two vacant lots in St. Louis will become tree farms, urban agriculture and green infrastructure projects through a partnership between the city and Chicago-based development firm Fresh Coast Capital.

Mayor Francis Slay hailed the news on Thursday, saying in a statement that such projects will turn empty lots from a liability that costs the city thousands of dollars a year to maintain into an asset.

The 42 lots make up about 3 acres of land, and all are in the city’s 22nd Ward in north St. Louis, around the area of Clara and St. Edward avenues.

About 1,500 hybrid poplars will be planted.

The city’s Land Reutilization Authority made the 42 parcels available for $1 to Fresh Coast Capital, which describes itself as an investment and real estate development firm “with an environmental and social mission.” It redevelops large tracts of vacant, blighted and contaminated land in the Midwest and Rust Belt into working landscapes, according to Slay’s office.