Downtown
Partnership Board Seeks More Discussion on
Emmons Street Property
The Franklin Downtown Partnership Board of Directors sent a
letter last week to the Franklin Town Council asking for more time to consider
possible uses for the town-owned property at the corner of Emmons Street and
West Central Street.
The future of 150 Emmons Street is scheduled for discussion
at the April 2 Town Council meeting. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the
Municipal Building and is open to the public.
At a March 4 town workshop, concerned business owners and
residents filled the room to hear proposals from a local developer and an
architectural firm. Community leaders expressed interest in not selling the
property and considered developing it into a ‘gateway property’ that would
include a cultural center, green space with a sculpture, a park or a
combination of these ideas.
After receiving calls from residents and listening to the
concerns of its members, including the Franklin Performing Arts Company,
Artistry Kitchen, Dean College, the Franklin Art Association and the Franklin
Historical Commission, the Partnership’s board felt it was important to ask the
Town Council not to rush into selling the property.
“The Town is in an advantageous position in that it owns
this important piece of real estate. We have an opportunity for careful, long-term,
creative thinking by the community and town officials. The FDP Board feels it
is important to give businesses and residents a chance to further research and
develop their ideas,” says Franklin
Downtown Partnership Executive Director Lisa Piana.
The Partnership’s letter asks the Town Council to suspend
issuing a Request for Proposal, or RFP, until the community has time to analyze
the impending streetscape project’s impact on traffic and parking and to
investigate funding options for noncommercial ideas.
The letter outlined specific goals the Partnership would
like considered for the site, including making sure the end result does not
cause additional traffic or parking issues. With the streetscape construction
about to begin, the FDP is concerned about parking and wants to make sure that
the 50 parking spaces located on the site are available to businesses for the next
12 months.
“We are asking for time to explore alternative proposals and
give a project of this magnitude the proper due diligence it deserves,” says Roberta
Trahan, Franklin Downtown Partnership Secretary. “The FDP Board looks forward
to working with the Town Council, the Planning Department and community leaders
to determine the best direction for the downtown and this important ‘Gateway’ property.”
The FDP is a non-profit group of 200 business owners,
residents and community leaders who are working to revitalize the downtown
area. For over ten years the organization has provided a voice for the
community in matters of public policy and infrastructure projects, and has been
involved in many downtown beautification projects, including the greenspace on
West Central Street, the bronze sculpture and greenspace in front of the
Historical Museum, the patio near The Cake Bar, and the downtown signs and park
benches in the center of town.
Perhaps the FDP is best known for its annual events like the
Strawberry Stroll, Harvest Festival and Holiday Stroll. The FDP’s office is
located at 9 East Central Street, and the Partnership encourages residents to
stop by the office if they would like to get more involved in helping to
revitalize downtown Franklin.
Residents who would like to share their opinion on the
Emmons Street property are welcome to attend the April 2 meeting or they can
contact the Franklin Downtown Partnership at (774) 571-3109 or downtown.franklin@yahoo.com.
Visit franklindowntownpartnership.org
to learn more.
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