What to know about 'The Hill' in Franklin: 'We want to give back to the community'

Anika Exum, Nashville Tennessean
·4 min read

The plot of land commonly known as "The Hill," just steps from the heart of downtown Franklin, is on track to become an affordable community.

The Franklin Hill Project, LLC has partnered with the city of Franklin to create a community of 39 affordable and workforce housing units ready to purchase at a fraction of the cost of the average home in Williamson County.

The group's request to create the homes on the property deemed "surplus" by the city of Franklin was selected and approved at the board of mayor and alderman's May 2022 meeting.

'They're going to be remembering the foo: Franklin's Cool Cafe closes after 17 years

A Franklin property referred to as "The Hill" sits empty overlooking Hillsboro Road and in between Bi-centennial Park and the Mt. Hope and Toussaint L'Ouverture cemeteries on Thursday, July 7, 2022. The currently vacant lot may soon become a workforce and affordable townhome community.
A Franklin property referred to as "The Hill" sits empty overlooking Hillsboro Road and in between Bi-centennial Park and the Mt. Hope and Toussaint L'Ouverture cemeteries on Thursday, July 7, 2022. The currently vacant lot may soon become a workforce and affordable townhome community.

Discussions on affordable housing opportunities at The Hill, in particular, have been ongoing for several years — since at least 2016 — but plans for the community are finally coming to fruition.

The Franklin Hill Project, LLC is a collective of four local housing-focused nonprofits — Hard Bargain Association, Franklin Housing Authority, Community Housing Partnership of Williamson County, and Habitat for Humanity Williams-Maury.

Tennessee voices: Democracy is not dead. We are its heartbeat.

Here's what we know about the plan so far:

"The Hill" property in Franklin is located at 5th Avenue adjacent to Sonic. Three area nonprofits and Franklin Housing Authority have partnered to propose an affordable/workforce housing development for the 4-acre property.
"The Hill" property in Franklin is located at 5th Avenue adjacent to Sonic. Three area nonprofits and Franklin Housing Authority have partnered to propose an affordable/workforce housing development for the 4-acre property.

Where and what is "The Hill?"

The Hill is located at 403 and 405 Fifth Ave. N., behind the Sonic Drive-in at the intersection of Hillsboro Road and 3rd Ave. N. In between the fast-food restaurant and Mt. Hope and Toussaint L'Ouverture cemeteries is a vacant lot that overlooks the often busy Hillsboro Rd and Bicentennial Park.

The city-owned lot formerly housed a metal building used for the city's water and fleet management. The land was declared as "surplus" property by Franklin BOMA, stating "the property would be abandoned to achieve a desired public purpose," according to a 2020 resolution.

What is planned?

At the moment, 39 townhomes are planned for the community, including 16 affordable and 23 workforce units.

The full cost of each home will range from $275,000 to $375,000, depending on the type of housing. The properties will be 50-year deed-restricted, which includes an owner-occupancy requirement. The restriction is intended to help prohibit purchasing by investors specifically for flipping or profit and the 50-year cycle will re-start with each new owner.

The community will have a homeowners association to ensure "the property is maintained and looks phenomenal," according to Community Housing Partnership CEO Wayne Weaver who shared the project with BOMA members in May.

A rendering of what The Hill could look like once the 39 affordable and workforce houses are constructed.
A rendering of what The Hill could look like once the 39 affordable and workforce houses are constructed.

How much will construction cost?

The property is valued at around $1.2 million, said Hard Bargain CEO Derrick Solomon. With assistance from the city, other grants, and donors a good portion of the purchasing cost will be covered.

However, the property is co-owned by Franklin's water utility company, a separate entity. To cover the 40% or so owned by the company, The Franklin Hill Project, LLC is responsible for over $470,000. So, each of the four associated non-profits committed to coming up with around $95,000 to cover the remainder.

In total, the construction of the community is projected to cost more than $10 million, according to leaders.

Who will be able to live at The Hill?

Leaders of The Franklin Hill Project, LLC. have discussed creating selection criteria based on:

  • Financial need

  • Being an existing resident or employee of the city of Franklin or Williamson County

  • A lottery system for what they intend will be a large outpouring of interest

Hard Bargain Association executive director Derrick Solomon looks out over Hillsboro Road on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 while walking through the downtown Franklin property referred to as "The Hill." Via the work of local housing advocacy leaders like Solomon, The Hill is currently scheduled to become the site of 39 affordable and workforce townhomes.

The road ahead

Derrick Solomon, executive director of the Hard Bargain Association, said the new community would benefit people hoping to live in or remain in Franklin, as well as local businesses who have struggled to retain staff amid an ever-increasing cost of living in Williamson County.

Additionally, the addition of housing that is intentionally for sale instead of for rent could help locals break cycles of poverty for generations of families.

Solomon lives in the Hard Bargain community and took on leadership of the organization that his grandfather-in-law co-founded in the early 2000s.

"For me, it's a love project," he told BOMA members in April. "We want to give back to the community.

"I know we can't control demand, but we can definitely help with supply and adding to the city of Franklin and Williamson County."

In months to come, the property will be examined for site design and architectural planning purposes.

Recent plans projected homes to be built, purchased and occupied within 28 months of the LLC's selection as partner for the property's development.

Anika Exum is a reporter for the Tennessean covering Williamson County. Reach her at aexum@tennessean.com or on Twitter at @aniexum. 

To stay updated on Williamson County news, sign up for our newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The Hill, affordable housing in Williamson County, Tennessee