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 the Creekside District, which they say undermines foot traffic that supports downtown businesses and motivates interest in housing and hospitality development.

Flood mitigation and public‑space work
City staff said the flood work centers on protecting the parking garage, the stream bank and the lower plaza from periodic high flows from the millrace and upstream dam releases. Elements described by staff include stream‑bank erosion control (a clay cap), removable barriers for flood events, “dry” flood‑proofing measures for the garage and replacement of the brick pavers above the garage after the waterproofing work is done. The project also would reconfigure the lower lagoon, remove a water wall that visually separates the upper and lower plazas, add amphitheater‑style seating and a covered stage, improve lighting, and add ramps and a secondary staircase to improve ADA access between the trail, lower plaza and upper plaza.

Jeff Gockey, the city’s director of economic development, said the pedestrian bridge would be repaired and some non‑structural columns could be removed to open sightlines from Mill Street to the creek. City staff noted the work will require portions of the plaza and trail to be removed and rebuilt as part of the flood protections.

Private redevelopment proposal
City officials described negotiations with Connect Real Estate and Benson Capital on a master development of the CIC‑owned parcels immediately north of the current plaza. Officials said the development being discussed would be privately financed, not city funded.

Key components described for phase 1 include two buildings flanking Mill Street with roughly 263 apartments of varying sizes (city officials described the figure as “263”), about 90% market‑rate and 10% of units reserved for households at 80% of area median income; a 55‑ to 70‑room boutique hotel; two restaurants; a co‑working space; and an above‑ground parking garage designed to serve residents, hotel guests and the public. Amenities cited included a pool and gym and a pedestrian bridge linking the buildings. Phase 2 as described would add about 24 townhouses once the first phase reaches a completion threshold, a sequencing method city staff said is intended to limit simultaneous construction disruption.

Officials said Connect Real Estate brings a factory‑built steel modular product that can speed construction and reduce on‑site disruption; Frank Benson of Benson Capital, a Gahanna native, was described as the local investor backing the proposal. Brad DeHayes was named as the lead of Connect Real Estate.

What is final and what is proposed
City officials repeatedly cautioned that the developer proposal is not a final plan. Mayor (name not specified) and Gockey said the CIC issued an RFP, selected this development team after negotiations, and that a formal review process — including planning and zoning approvals, engineering review and coordination with FEMA on the flood‑proofing certificate — must occur before construction could begin. Officials said exterior finishes and some layouts remain conceptual and can change through the city review process.

Community input and next steps
Presenters framed the meeting as the first of multiple public engagement opportunities. Staff set up small‑group tables for feedback and said the CIC‑developer negotiations and FEMA coordination were ongoing. No formal votes or approvals were taken during the session.

Admission of uncertainties
City officials identified several dependencies: FEMA approval of flood‑proofing plans; completion of required waterproofing work in the garage; the CIC’s continued control of parcels; and planning/zoning approvals. Officials did not give firm construction start dates or a total project timeline.

Keywords: Creekside District, Gahanna, flood mitigation, Connect Real Estate, Benson Capital, Gahanna Community Improvement Corporation, CIC, Mill Street