FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's a project that's been waiting to get the green light for a long time: "The Hill."
"It's taken a couple years 'cause we had to work through some things in terms of the availability of the site, and also had to change some local laws to allow us to transfer ownership of the property for what the board identified as a public purpose a public benefit," City Administrator for the City of Franklin Eric Stuckey said.
In May, the city of Franklin's Board of Mayor and Alderman approved "The Hill Property"
To make it happen, the city teamed up with four housing groups: Franklin Housing Authority, Community Housing Partnership of Williamson County, Habitat for Humanity of Williamson-Maury and Hard Bargain Association.
Pretty soon, the unoccupied land at 403 And 405 5th Avenue North could be home to more than 30 affordable and workforce units. It's a relief for families who want to live and work in Franklin but can't afford to pay constantly increasing rents.
With the average price of a home in Williamson county averaging more than $800,000, Stuckey said this affordable community will help create opportunities for people.
"Affordable housing is an important topic, and we want to try to provide diverse options for our citizens now and in the future," he said.
The goal is to have 16 affordable housing units and 23 workforce units. The price would depend on median household income, but they'd sell from $275,000 to $375,000.
The city said the application process is still being finalized, but people with financial needs living and working in the city will be prioritized.
Stuckey said there is still a long road ahead as the project still has to go through the development approval phase.
"We hope that starts the early part of next year. And that will take several months to go through, and then they've got to be ready to bid out the work and get started. So, we don't have an exact time frame, but we hope within the next couple of years they'll be up and operating and new homes for our citizens," Stuckey said.
