The Crew stadium will be raised by 5 feet to meet code and get out of the floodplainCREW
Experts are "questioning whether enough is being done to mitigate flooding risks" at the new Crew stadium site in Columbus, according to Beth Burger of the COLUMBUS DISPATCH. The 20,000-seat stadium and the entire 33-acre site is in a "100-year floodplain," as the project is "about 1,000 feet from where the Olentangy and Scioto rivers converge." To be in a 100-year floodplain, an area has a "1% chance of flooding every year." Renato Frasson, who specializes in civil and environmental engineering at Ohio State's Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, said that the frequency of flooding "could be 75%, but nobody really knows without specific mapping that would take into account numerous factors." Burger noted the Crew stadium site is "at 720.4 feet above sea level," so the project site is going to be "raised by 5 feet" to comply with code and get it out of the floodplain. Plans for the new Crew stadium include a "field below the floodplain." But Legends Project Development Senior VP/Operations Cameron Curtis said that to "offset flooding," the project will include "building a cutoff wall to prevent water from entering the stadium" (COLUMBUS DISPATCH, 3/30).
