Golden shovels broke through the earth in Gays Mills Friday, not far from where relentless rains flooded it two years in a row.

“It was kind of unbelievable. And then it happens two years in a row. How much can a little community take?" says Long-Range Planning Committee Co-Chair Ritch Stevenson.

After the floods of 2007 and 2008, the village took steps to prevent any more damage to the homes and businesses.

“We looked at a levy, and at dredging the river, and a number of relocation areas," says Stevenson.

After years of dealing with higher water, the village decided it must move to higher ground.

“Relocation will be voluntary, the first part will be residents who will move out here, whose homes have been substantially damaged and volunteered to move here," says Stevenson.

Lois Mickelson says she's fed up of fixing her house, and will be moving to the new development.

“I just didn’t' want to deal with the rain. I get nervous every time it rains. The Kickapoo rises and you have to move out," says Mickelson.

The long term plan for the North Mills development will also include businesses and city government buildings. But it won't be cheap, costing nearly 13 million dollars, much of it taxpayer money.

“A grocery store will be here right away and we have other businesses interested in coming out here,” says Stevenson.

Gays mills barber Robert E. Lee says he repaired his business two years in a row after floods came to the village. And, like many in town, he looked for a permanent solution to save his shop.

“The village really took the initiative to do something," he says, standing on the development land.

Though Lee says he likes the nostalgia of having a Main Street in town, he says he realizes he must move to higher ground.

“Thirty years I’ve been there. That’s a lot of heart and soul. It will be hard to leave,” says Lee.

But, he says he's gaining more by moving his shop.

“I'll be giving up not being in a flood anymore!” says Lee.

Lee and the rest of Gays Mills say they think this development is the best investment for fighting floods in the future.

“It's been a costly last few years,” says Lee. “Reality is there will be a flood someday. I just hope for the best of success here."

Mickelson says she's excited for the future, too, but the rising waters of the past are still on her mind.

“I’m worried about the people still living down there," she says.
The North Mills development project is being funded through several federal and state grants, and nearly $100 thousand in federal stimulus money. Construction is set to begin this fall, with the first buildings completed by fall of 2010.