Gahanna officials outline FEMA-linked flood work and a $100 million private redevelopment plan for Creekside

City of Gahanna officials on Oct. 12 outlined two linked proposals intended to address flood-risk at Creekside and to spur private investment in the downtown Creekside District.

Mayor (name not specified) said the city has been working with FEMA to complete required flood‑proofing for the Creekside parking garage and adjacent embankment and that the flood work presents an opportunity to redesign the plaza and improve access and programming. Separately, the Gahanna Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) has negotiated with private developers Connect Real Estate and Benson Capital on a potential $100,000,000 mixed‑use project for parcels the CIC bought in the Creekside area, city officials said.

City officials emphasized the distinction between required flood‑mitigation work and the private investment proposal: the flood measures are a mandatory step tied to producing a flood‑proofing certificate for the garage and plaza, while the private redevelopment remains a proposal under negotiation and subject to numerous city approvals and FEMA coordination.

Why it matters: Creekside is the area most frequently cited in the city’s Arghahana strategic‑planning outreach as needing revitalization, city leaders said. Officials also presented city data showing a multi‑year decline in visits to…