2018 Development Report

5 The year 2018 showed Franklin to be one of America’s most vibrant local economies characterized by high quality jobs, low unemployment, and significant investment in our beautiful City. Money Magazine named Franklin the best place to live in Tennessee and the sixth best in the country. Excellent schools, highly educated workforce, and low taxes coupled with the ability to balance preservation and growth have produced an enviable quality of life for our community. Our growing community has been making significant investments in infrastructure through our “Invest Franklin” program for the next ten years. Already $90 million has been invested for our future and another $150 million will be invested over the life of the program. At last, the long-awaited Mack Hatcher NW extension has been bid and awarded with construction to start in 2019. Other significant projects for our gateways continue to move forward such as Columbia Pike and Franklin Road. Our connectivity through trails and sidewalks is expanding to make us a more walkable community. Infrastructure investment has also occurred in our Water Department with the ribbon cutting for our high-tech water plant and the ground-breaking for our Wastewater plant. Both will add to our ability to meet the needs of our growing community. Additional land has been added to the Southeast Park complex including Robinson Lake, and plans are moving forward for Phase I of the project. This park complex will add additional athletic fields and include an inclusive playground. Sustainability continues to be an important component of our City particularly focused on decreasing electric usage in high use areas and installing more energy efficient lighting on our streets. The recognition as a Silver Level LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) City - the only one in the southeast - confirms the progress that we are making in this area. We are particularly pleased in the investment businesses are making in downtown Franklin, the Cool Springs area, and the Berry Farms area. New headquarters and campuses are being created by our businesses for their growing workforces. They have made us a significant economic generator for the State. Tourism continues to play an important role with the sixth largest tourist economy in the state and welcoming over 1.5 million visitors annually. Our Battlefield preservation efforts continue to expand. The Heritage Foundation is busy preserving historic properties with the former O’More campus being perhaps one of the most important efforts in our history. It is truly an exciting time to be in Franklin to raise a family, start a business, play, and worship. LETTER FROM THE MAYOR