Mayor suggests raising part of downtown Franklin-WEB ONLY

A plan from the mayor of Franklin to rejuvenate the downtown area includes raising by 3 or 4 feet several blocks that were heavily damaged by flooding last year.

Mayor Fred Paris acknowledges that the plan is nowhere near final, but says by elevating the southwest part of downtown, the city would create a scenic area for shopping, dining and living along Youngs Creek.

The flooding that hit much of central and southern Indiana in June damaged several hundred homes and businesses in the city about 20 miles south of Indianapolis and swamped much of its downtown.

Some downtown business owners called the mayor’s plan intriguing but a long shot and said the city’s focus should be on boosting existing businesses.

Before anything can be done, the plan would need to be studied by hydrologists, Paris would need to find millions of dollars in grant and some businesses would need to agree to move.

“This is trying to tie this stuff together for the next 20 years, not the next two to four years,” Paris told the Daily Journal of Franklin.

Preventing future flooding is a concern for city officials, who have started applying for grants to divert high water from Youngs Creek in projects estimated to cost $5 million or more.

“It’s an ambitious undertaking, but when you look at the damage done to downtown Franklin with the 2008 [flood], $5 million is cheap to spend,” Paris said.

Among Paris’ plans are digging a ditch southwest of the city, where high water could be diverted during a flood. Another idea Paris has considered is building a 200-acre reservoir near the city where floodwater could be stored.

The plan to bring in fill dirt to raise the four to eight downtown blocks would mean moving some businesses.

Scott Graham, who owns Generations Custom Auto and Collision, estimates it would cost about $1 million to move his shop elsewhere – and that some businesses won’t want to move.

“Honestly, I don’t think it will ever fly,” Graham said of Paris’ plan. “I think it’s a pipe dream.”

Paris said he hopes for a future downtown with shops, restaurants and condominiums replacing the government buildings and service businesses that now occupy the area near Youngs Creek.

“That area along the creek is quite beautiful, and there are many higher and better uses for that area,” said Rob Shilts, executive director of Franklin Heritage.

Shilts, though, said the city has other issues to focus on downtown, such as a lack of parking and reviving some of the old, rundown buildings.