A flooding issue in Winston-Salem's Innovation Quarter has City Council members wondering how to address the problem. A new stormwater pipe renovation project may come with a $5 million price tag.
The issue first came to light following a storm last July, which flooded an area on Seventh Street near a railroad underpass.
The Winston-Salem Journal reports that city officials determined the existing pipe is only half the size necessary to carry stormwater runoff from heavy rains.
Compounding the problem is the fact that the pipe runs under the Plant 64 Building, which is currently being converted into apartments.
City officials said it may take at least $5 million to solve the problem, which would involve constructing a bypass pipeline that would carry excess water around the Plant 64 building rather than under it.
Renovating the pipeline would also sabotage plans for a parking deck which had been in the works.
Officials are now struggling with how to pay for a renovation project.
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