Nearly $69.6 million worth of projects are on the city of Franklin’s to-do list this year.
Last month, Franklin Mayor Steve Barnett announced his multi-million dollar project list to the city council and residents. The list consists of around 25 projects for 2025 alongside future projects, includings street repairs and sidewalk work, headstone replacements, finishing the new Active Adult Center, embarking on projects for the wastewater treatment plant and designing a new comprehensive plan.
Barnett started giving a project list when he became mayor in 2017 to notify city officials and the community of the expected projects. He has continued to do so to this day.
Funding for this year’s projects will come from different sources, including from the Franklin Board of Public Works and Safety, Redevelopment Commission, stormwater uility, Cumulative Capital Development, Motor Vehicle Highway funds, alongside state grants like Community Crossings Matching Grant and READI 2.0.
Building projects
The most ambitious plans calls for putting over $46 million into the wastewater treatment plant with projects that will roll into 2026. City officials plan to expand the plant, construct a gravity sewer and new regional lift station, and install a force main as part of the West Side Regional Interceptor project. The city plans to expand the billing building as well, though that will most likely occur in 2027, Barnett said.
The expansion comes after the city reached over 90% capacity at the plant in 2021, which concerned city leaders and sparked conversations about increasing the plant’s capacity, according to Wessler Engineering, the firm that helped with creating the plans for the expnasion. Wessler representatives previously said the West Side Regional Interceptor project would also address needs for future growth.
The plant expansion is expected to bid in May and break ground in July. Both the expansion and West Side Interceptor project will need bonds, the list states.
City officials are also wrapping up another large project as the new Active Adult Center heads toward the finish line. After the center outgrew its old building at 160 E. Adams St. officials decided to tear it down and build a modern building. The new building will cost $4.25 million, with the proceeds of a $750,000 READI 2.0 grant assisiting with the cost.
Infrastructure improvements
Several infrascture-related improvements are also on the docket in the coming years.
City officials are welcoming a new commercial development dubbed Commerce Point at the northwest corner of Commerce Drive and Morton Street, which has seen interest from Chick-fil-A, Chipotle, Valvoline and Dutch Bros. To assist, city officials are spending $800,000 to build a stop light near the development. This will start this year and roll over into 2026, according to Barnett’s list.
Malarkey Roofing, another business coming into town, is giving funds to the city for road improvements. The company broke ground in November 2024 on a $200-million dollar plant that is expected to open near Paul Hand Boulevard and Graham Road in 2026.
As part of the project agreement, Marlarkey officials said the company would assist in upgrading Paul Hand Boulevard by giving the city $2 million, along with extending Essex Drive by 2027. The Essex Drive project would be at the company’s sole expense for roughly $3 million. The city will also contribute $100,000 toward the Paul Hand Boulevard improvements.