Greenwood wants to purchase nearly a whole block of properties along Pleasant Creek in the downtown area, converting the land into a park and gateway into the city.
The city had previously received approval to purchase 13 properties in flood zones across Greenwood as part of a $1 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Administration and now is seeking to expand the scope of its buyback program using city funds and another FEMA grant, with a focus on an area north of where Pleasant Creek crosses under Main Street.
The city wants to eventually purchase 15 homes, a church and a small apartment complex that make up 22 properties in flood zone in an area bordered by Main, Water and Broadway streets and the railroad. If all of the properties were to be purchased and demolished, a whole city block of Greenwood would be designated as park space, as the city would not be allowed to rebuild inside the flood zone, Greenwood Stormwater Department Director Chris Jones said.
See Wednesday’s Daily Journal for more information.
